Ripples of Reality
by DreamonAlina
Summary: S5-6 Finished! Now on S7! Juliet Gilbert had 2 years worth of memories stripped from her mind after an accident with the Immortal being Silas. Now she must put the pieces of her life together in order to begin living it again, including one very big piece-Stefan Salvatore. Full summary inside. Stefan/OC.
1. I Know What You Did Last Summer

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Summary: **Juliet Gilbert has awoken from a coma that she's been in for an entire summer. It would have all been great, if the last two years of her memories hadn't been stripped from her mind. Now she's awake in a world where her and her sister apparently hate each other, she's supposedly in love with her sister's ex-boyfriend, she spent the last year hooking up with their British enemy, and to wrap it all up, an immortal being that had been tormenting them since the end of the past year is beginning to wreck havoc in Mystic Falls, bringing along with him a whole string of dangerous events.

What better place for Juliet to figure out who she was for the past two years than college?

**Author's Note:** My new thought on a Vampire Diaries story! Hope you enjoy it!

PS, as a little change, this is starting in Season 5. Don't worry, backstory and everything is eventually going to be revealed, bit by bit.

EDIT: I'm changing it so that Juliet is faced by a brunette Aimee Teegarden!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I heard a lot of argument outside of my hospital room, as I had been hearing for the past couple of days since I woke up.

It was between one of my best friends, Matt Donovan, and my adoptive sister, Elena Gilbert. I didn't hear it too well, since they're either told to keep their voices down because I was trying to rest (but I don't see the point; I had been in a coma for the past three months, I didn't _need_ any more resting) or they left to another part of the hospital.

Anyways, the argument was always about me, and who got to take me home. From Elena, I always heard, "She's my sister, I should be able to take care of her", and from Matt, I heard, "She's trusted _me_ to take care of her if it ever came to her health". I was mostly on Matt's side, because if I made that decision before I clocked out of the world, I was still mentally coherent.

Elena and I were very close. We weren't exactly a year apart, so we were the same age and in the same year at school. We were also both adopted. Well, separately, I mean. My parents, Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, told me that I was adopted when I turned fifteen, and when I went snooping to try and find some information about my birth parents, I found out that Elena was adopted too. I never told me parents that I knew, and I never told Elena. It didn't matter to me. She was still my sister, and as a fifteen year old, that was all that I saw.

I mostly slept, watched TV, or listened to music in the hospital. I hadn't had many guests, just Elena, Matt, and our brother Jeremy, so I was pretty much bored out of my mind. But according to Elena, there were quite a few people excited that I had finally woken up after my freak accident.

It was Jeremy who explained to me what happened. It was right around the beginning of summer (the night of my graduation, I was told) when I left. I was supposedly going on a summer trip with my friend, but something happened, and a few days later, a local park ranger found me passed out on the ground, unresponsive, but somehow still breathing.

And then I was brought here, where I had been monitored for the past three months. I finally woke up a few days ago, and it was apparently a couple days before I was supposed to start college. Elena was trying to pull some strings so that I could stay in college, but Matt thought I might need a few more weeks to rest up. They both eventually decided to leave it up to the doctors, and they said that as long as I was taking my medicine and not experiencing any dizziness or any other negative symptoms, I was okay to go.

The door to my room opened, and I looked over to see Matt walking in. I smiled when I saw him, "Hey, Matty."

"Hey, Jules," He said as he sat down next to me.

"What's the verdict?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on," I said. "I've been listening to you and Elena argue for the past couple of days. Who do I get to go home with?"

"Well, legally, you signed over all medical decisions that couldn't be made by you over to me, but Elena keeps insisting that because you're her sister, you should go home with her."

"Why did I do that?" I asked. I didn't remember any of that.

Matt looked a bit confused until it hit him. "Right, you wouldn't remember. Your memory, remember?"

He was right right. When I woke up and asked what day it was, it apparently _wasn't_ September 10, 2009. After some tests, they eventually came to the conclusion that I had no memory of the past two years, which was really bad, according to Jeremy, my information guy. A whole lot of stuff happened during the past two years, but apparently Jeremy couldn't tell me in a hospital, where there were, in his words, _humans._ Right, as if things not human existed. And that's what I believed.

Until Elena walked in and revealed she was a vampire.

It took a lot of explanation, but Elena finally filled me in on the fact that these types of supernatural beings existed, and I apparently found that out two years ago, so of course I didn't remember.

Anyways, back to what Matt was saying.

"Back to the point?" I said.

"Not surprisingly, the hospital went with what the patient wanted. So you get to come home with me," he said, a huge smile on his face.

I smiled too. "That's good. When we get home you'll have to tell me what happened between me and Elena. And what's happened in the past two years."

There was a twinkle in Matt's eyes. "That's gonna be sooner than you think."

I straightened up, though it hurt a bit when I did. "Does that mean what I think it means?" I asked excitedly.

Matt smiled. "Yup! You get to go home tomorrow!"

I squealed, and Matt and I hugged. Tomorrow, I would go back to the life I supposedly had.

Tomorrow, I would be Juliet Jordan Gilbert again.

* * *

The next day, after Matt filled out like a billion forms, he and a nurse helped me outside, and I was in his car, ready to go home.

"I can't believe this," I said as I buckled my seat belt. "A week ago, I was dead to the world. And now here I am, ready to go home. And start college tomorrow," I said the last part with a little groan.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to go," Matt said as he began driving.

He was right, though. My doctor, Matt and I agreed that it'd be best for me to get back into a normal lifestyle, and what better place to start than college?

Matt and I pulled into his driveway, and he quickly got out to grab my bag. I carefully got out of the car, and I looked at the house, trying to remember the place. I sort of did, though a lot of the memories were from when we were younger.

"What do you want to do for dinner?" I asked Matt as he and I walked up the driveway into the house.

"Well, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," He said as he unlocked the front door, swinging it open.

There were suddenly a bunch of voices calling out, "Surprise!" And noise makers, as well as clapping.

I laughed as I took in the sight of my friends and family, some of them wearing party hats, standing in front of a banner that said, "Welcome Home."

"Welcome home, Julie!" My best friend, Caroline, said as she ran over and enveloped me into a hug.

"Thanks, Care!" I said as I squeezed her back. "Gentle," I reminded her, and she peeled herself off of me. "Still a bit sore."

"Right," Caroline said, stepping back a bit.

"What is all this?" I asked as I looked around the room. Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, Caroline's mother, Liz, and a raven haired man with blue eyes standing next to Elena were the ones here, though I had a feeling a few people were missing.

"No one in that blasted hospital would let us anywhere _near_ you," Caroline explained. "So I thought this would be a nice alternative. No way was I not going to see you before school started again." She grabbed a hold of my arm. "Now come _on!_ We have your favourite foods all lined up!"

Everyone stayed for a little while, and we all talked (they even managed to get me caught up on some stuff-like who the man with Elena was, whom I had learned was her boyfriend, Damon Salvatore) and we even danced a little. Then it was late, and Liz insisted that if we were going to get to Whitmore College on time tomorrow, we would all need some sleep.

After a quick goodbye (and an especially awkward one from Elena, though I didn't know why) everybody left. There was a question (actually there were quite a few) nagging at the back of my mind, so I decided to wait and ask Matt when everyone was gone.

And now that everyone was gone, I sat down with Matt in front of the TV in the living room to watch a bit before we went to bed. "Matt?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Jules."

I gulped a little, afraid of the answer I'd get. "Where's my aunt Jenna?"

I felt Matt freeze beside me, but I continued on. "I mean, I'd expected her to be the one to get me out of the hospital, since she is my guardian. And I didn't see her today at the party. Where is she? On vacation?"

Matt turned the TV off slowly before turning to face me. "Juliet, there's a lot of stuff that happened in the past two years."

"And that includes?" I pressed, still afraid.

He gently took my hands in his. He looked me right in the eyes as he said, "Your aunt Jenna is dead. So is your uncle John."

Tears immediately filled my eyes at the news of my family members's death. "What?" I asked as I felt my face get wet. "How? When? Why?" I continued as Matt pulled me into a hug. I buried my face in his shoulder as he held me. "What happened?" I asked, my voice muffled.

He pulled back. "That's a really difficult answer, Jules. I don't want to be the one to tell you it."

"Why not?" I sniffed, and Matt handed me a tissue so I could blow my nose.

His blue eyes lit up as he said, "I'll be right back." He zoomed out of the room and up the stairs, and came back just as fast, holding a book in his hands. He held it out in front of me, and I took it.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's your diary," He said, sitting back down. "You write down everything in it. I'm sure the best person to tell you what's been going on in the past two years is you. You also have a whole bunch of other ones."

I looked down at the book, then to Matt, then back down at the diary before I pushed it off of my lap. "I'm not ready."

"What?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I just woke up from a coma, Matt. I found out that I have no memories of the past two years, and then I find out that my aunt and uncle are dead. I just wanna start college tomorrow fresh. I'll get back to my past soon enough. But for now, what's in the past, is in the past."

Matt didn't look that okay with it, but slowly nodded. "Okay. That makes sense."

"But I do have something else to ask you," I said, and he nodded. "Why do Elena and I hate each other? Why do I live with you, and not with Elena and Jeremy in my own house?"

Matt winced. "That's a very long story."

"Is my entire life just a very long story?" I asked as I sunk back into the sofa.

Matt laughed as he sunk back with me. "Pretty much."

I smiled as I said, "You don't have to tell me why I don't live with Jer and Elena. I'm sure I've written it down, so I can just read that part later. But if Elena and I are to stay in the same dorm room, I want to know why the tension between us in a room is thick enough to be sliced with a katana."

Matt sighed as he said, "You're not gonna like the story."

I shrugged. "It's my life," I said. "I'm not gonna like the story either way."

* * *

Matt filled me in on what happened between me and my sister, and I must say, if this was a TV show, it's ratings would probably be through the roof.

So apparently sometime last year Jeremy died (but he's still alive?) and Elena shut off her humanity because she couldn't deal with the emotions. And then she burned our house down, without me knowing until I came home and saw the only home I ever knew up in flames.

And Elena without her humanity on was apparently a real bitch, and she tried to kill me by stabbing me in the stomach with a tree branch. Yup. She actually did that.

I didn't know what she was trying to accomplish by killing me (according to Matt it was because she felt like it) but Damon found me and healed me with his vampire blood (yeah, he's a vampire too. Apparently there was this whole history behind Damon and Elena and to be honest after I heard that Elena tried to kill me I really didn't care) and I didn't feel like I could trust Elena with my life again.

So I asked Matt to be the one to make medical decisions for me if I was were incapacitated.

And that was why whenever Elena and I were in the same room together she looked extremely guilty. Whatever, she was gonna have to learn to live with it if we were gonna be living in the same dorm room.

Anyways, it was the morning now, and after Matt filled me in on what happened last night, I suddenly remembered that I was going to _college_, and that I was not packed whatsoever, so he helped me quickly pack up a bunch of things that pretty much took all night. I had a bit of sleep, and took some of my meds to speed up my healing process. Damon offered to let me drink some of his blood, but there was a line of so much creepiness I could take, and he had crossed it.

"You sure you have everything?" Matt asked as we walked up to the front door, me dragging a large suitcase behind me as Matt pulled two smaller ones with him.

"Yes, Matty-boy," I said with a smile. "I've double checked, I promise. And even if I did, you'd probably drive up to Whitmore to drop it off, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, I would," he said. I opened my arms wide for a hug, and Matt pulled me in close in an extreme bear hug.

"We'll talk every day?" He asked.

"Yup," I said, nodding my head against my shoulder. There was a honk outside, and Matt and I pulled apart. "That's gotta be Caroline. Take care of yourself, Matt. I'll visit soon, I promise." With another hug I was out the door, ready to start afresh.

* * *

The campus of Whitmore College was alive with the sound of eager freshman students as Elena, Caroline, and I began grabbing our stuff to take to our dorm room which we'd be sharing with our other best friend, Bonnie Bennett. Who, according to Elena, has been on vacation all summer and was gonna be a couple days late to start the semester.

"You're dreaming about Stefan?" Caroline asked Elena incredously after my sister spilled the beans.

"They're not dreams," Elena clarified. "It's more of a feeling. Maybe I should call him."

"So he can hear how happy you are with Damon?" Caroline asked, in an annoyed tone. "Absolutely not." She turned her head towards me. "You gonna help me over here, Jules?"

"I _would_," I said, shaking my head. "If I knew who Stefan was."

Caroline and Elena both snaped their heads towards me. "Uh, he's kind of your best friend," Caroline said.

"Well I must have met him in the two years that I have forgotten, because I don't remember him," I pointed out.

"Right," Elena said, shaking her head. "He's Damon's brother. I used to date Stefan, and you two are best friends."

"Okay," I said, with a nod of my head. "Well, if you used to date Stefan, I don't think it's a good idea to give him a call."

"What are you guys saying?" Elena asked. "I feel like there's something wrong with a friend of mine and I should just ignore it?"

"Elena, he'll call you when he's ready to," I said gently.

"And a whole summer isn't enough for him to be ready?" She asked.

"Well, you did dump him for his brother," I pointed out. "That's got to cut deep."

There was a bit of an awkward silence, and it looked like I went too far. "I'm sorry, Elena, I shouldn't have said it like that." Though it was totally what I meant. What girl dumped her boyfriend to date his brother? I mean, I had gone looking through my phone to see pictures with lots of people, including Elena, Jeremy, Jenna, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and even Damon. There was one person that I didn't recognize, a boy with bronzish hair and soft green eyes, who I had assumed to be Stefan. When it came to looks, I would have chosen Stefan over Damon. And from what I had heard from Caroline, Damon wasn't a good person. I had yet to actually heard a so called 'evil deed' (Caroline's words, not mine) of Damon's, so I was not going to judge until I had heard anything.

"No, it's okay," Elena said, before she quickly changed the subject. "So I'm just supposed to _live_ with this nagging pit in my stomach?"

Caroline rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Okay, Elena, that _pit_ is called guilt. You feel terrible because you broke Stefan's heart and that nagging feeling is your brain telling you that you have made a horrible-yet completely reversible-mistake."

"Nice try," Elena said as she spun around to stand in front of the two of us. "Besides, Stefan and I left things in a good place."

_You call not talking for an entire summer after you dumped him and picked his older brother over him a good place?_ I had wanted to ask, but restrained myself. Things between Elena and I were already rough from the whole 'her trying to kill me' thing, and I just wanted things to get back to the way they used to.

"It doesn't mean that he hasn't been thinking about you _shacking_ up with his brother all summer long," Caroline said.

"Oh, seriously, Caroline?" I said, covering my ear with one hand and balancing the clothing basket in the other. "I did not need to hear that." I actually felt a bit offended that Elena was more concerned about herself and her ovaries than about her sister dead to the world in a hospital. I tried not to focus on it too much, though.

"Neither did I," Liz said as she walked by us. "Mom ears. I'm still here."

Elena just made a 'my bad' face, and Caroline just laughed as we turned around to look at the campus.

"We're in college," Elena stated.

Caroline grinned as she said, "We _actually _made it. All three of us." She gestured to me. "And Sleepy over here was a miracle."

I just shook my head at her with a laugh. After a bit of silence, we all turned around to find our college dorm room, a bit of a skip in our steps.

* * *

"You brought a Panini Press?" Elena asked Caroline, holding the contraption up.

All Caroline said was, "Small appliances by the fridge."

Elena just blinked before she passed it over to me, and I took it over to put next to the fridge.

"That's the last one," Liz announced as she brought another box in. "All right. Now give me a hug before I change my mind and bring you home with me," Liz told Caroline as she went over and wrapped her daughter into a hug. "You can call as much as you want."

Caroline just laughed at her mother. "Mom!" She said. "We'll be fine." They pulled apart and Liz went over to hug Elena. She exchanged glances with me as she said, "This is where your dad fell in love with medicine, you know," She said as she pulled away from Elena and wrapped me into a hug, which I gratefully returned. "He would be really proud to see the both of you here."

"Thanks, Liz," I said as we pulled apart. She stroked my face before cupping it. "Take care of yourself, okay? I don't want to get another call saying that you're passed out somewhere in a forest."

I laughed, pulling Liz's hands from my face. "I promise, Liz. I won't pass out in forests. I might pick a cave next time."

She just laughed as she gave her daughter a happy look. Caroline burst into laughter as she said, "Go! Before I change my mind and make you stay."

"I'm going! I'm going!" Liz said as she backed over to the door. "I love you." She began to shut the door behind her as she said, "Bye, girls."

"So, roomies," Elena bubbled. "I think we should drink to something."

"I couldn't agree more-" Caroline took a dramatic pause as she flipped the top of her suitcase open. "Roomie."

"I am on board for this," I threw in.

She reached into her bag and produced two little bags. A closer inspection revealed it to be bags filled with blood. I almost got scared, until I remembered that Elena and Caroline (who had informed me on the way up to Whitmore) were vampires.

It was not that easy to digest, you know.

"Wait, what am I gonna drink?" I asked. "You two are the vampires."

"Ugh, I forgot that we're living with a human," Caroline groaned as she walked over to the mini fridge. She pulled out a can of diet Coke, and handed it to me. "This okay?"

"It's fine," I said as I popped it open. I felt a little sick to my stomach when I saw the blood swish in Caroline and Elena's hands.

"To the next chapter of our lives," Caroline announced, and they tapped their blood bags against each other. I just slightly raised my can, and I was about to drink from it when there was a knock at the door, and faster than lightning, the two vampires tossed their blood bags back into the suitcase and turned around just in time for a girl our age to let herself into the room, holding a basket of her stuff.

"Hey!" She said excitedly.

"Um, who are you?" Caroline asked.

"I'm Megan," She introduced. "Your roommate."

* * *

"So your current boyfriend Damien-" Megan started, but Elena cut her off with her correction of how to really say Damon's name.

"-Is your ex's brother?" Megan continued.

"Stefan," Elena clarified.

"And you and Stefan are friends by three months ago he left without saying goodbye?" Megan inquired.

"I thought the exact same thing," I mumbled to her under my breath. We were all taking a small breaking from moving, and I guess since we were supposed to live with each other, we ought to get to know each other a bit.

"You think I should call him?" Elena asked for maybe the fifty millionth time that day. If she asked again, I am fully prepared to strangle her.

"No way," Megan answered as Caroline threw in, "Absolutely not!"

Elena just brushed it off with a shameful smile as Megan changed the subject. "Do you have a boyfriend, Caroline?"

"I do," My friend answered gleefully. "His name is Tyler. He had to miss moving day, but he'll be here for the first day of classes."

"Assuming he registers," Elena started. "And picks a dorm. And buys books." Jeez, way to play the bitchy card, little sis.

Megan quickly changed the subject again by looking over at me. "And you, Juliet? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Not unless I had a boyfriend in the two years I had forgotten. Besides, I felt like I had re-met anybody I was supposed to. And I hadn't had a chance to read my diaries yet, either. "Um, no, actually. It's kinda hard to get yourself a boyfriend when you've been in a coma all summer long."

Megan gave a tiny gasp. "Oh my God! Are you okay?"

I shrugged a bit. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"So did you forget anything? Maybe you did have a boyfriend, you just can't remember," Megan said.

Well, then. Not really the confidence booster I needed.

"Speaking of minding one's own business," Caroline said, spinning around on her heel to face the three of us. "Let's talk roommate ground rules." She crossed her arms as she began. "Privacy is very important to me."

"Same here," Megan agreed.

"I have low blood sugar," Caroline kept going. "My diet's finicky, so keep your paws off of my stuff."

"We'll split up the shelves," Megan proposed.

"And if I suddenly get up to leave or disappear for a while, _don't_ follow me," Caroline asserted.

"Okay," Megan agreed lightly. "Sounds good."

"Good," Elena said. "Then we agree on everything."

"Excuse me ladies," A deep voice that had to be male said. We all ceased conversation and turned around to see what the guy wanted. "Party at Whitmore house tonight," He declared, handing a flyer to Caroline.

I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes at the dude's obviousness. He was trying not to check Caroline out, but he was really struggling with it.

Elena looked over at the boy, then to Caroline. "We'll be there," She told him. Caroline looked at Elena, a confused look on her face.

"I hope so," He said, his gaze directly to Caroline. She just watched, unfazed as he left.

Elena put her arm around Caroline. "I love college," She said with a laugh.

* * *

I had a few errands to run, and when I came back to my dorm, I saw Caroline raiding the drawers where Megan was keeping her stuff. She turned around to check out who it was, but just sighed when she saw it was me, and went back to raiding. "Did you notice that Megan's juicer takes up all the small appliance space?" She informed us, clearly very annoyed. She opened another drawer as I went over to grab a bottle of water to take my medicine with. "She has an entire drawer dedicated to organic linen."

"I thought the whole 'privacy' thing was _your _idea," I reminded, popping the pill into my mouth and taking a swig of the water to wash it down.

Caroline angrily shut the drawer and turned around. "Maybe if she didn't take such long showers, I wouldn't have time to go through her stuff." She turned back around and kept going through Megan's stuff. "I mean, how can you be okay with a fourth roommate?"

"Because we're trying to be functional," Elena argued. "And being functional means we need friends."

"We have friends," Caroline said.

"I think she means _human_ friends, Care," I clarified.

Caroline spun on her heel. "But we also need personal space," She pointed out. "I mean, what if we suddenly get a craving and I want to eat her?"

Elena just shook her head with a smile as Caroline continued. "Or our blood bags go bad because we can't store them in the mini fridge." She went on to open the mini fridge. She pulled out one of Megan's water bottles. "And what the hell is protein water?"

Elena and I both shrugged as our blonde best friend screwed the cap off. "Well, maybe if I drank it all, she'll want to move out."

Caroline tilted the bottle to her lips and began to drink as Elena got off of her bed to protest, but the next thing we knew, Caroline was on the ground, coughing her brains out.

I jumped off of my bed and fell to her side. "Caroline, are you okay?"

"Vervain," She wheezed out.

"Vervain?" I repeated. "What's vervain?" I ask, looking to my information people.

Elena was about to open her mouth to explain when the bathroom door burst open, revealing Megan, who had a towel wrapped around her body. "What's going on?" She asked. She grabbed another towel from a rack outside of the bathroom an walked towards Caroline. "Are you okay?"

Elena and I helped her up as Elena answered for her. "Yeah, she's fine."

"What happened?" Megan asked as she dropped the towel to the ground to soak up the water.

"Water, just went down the wrong pipe," Caroline cleverly lied. "I'm okay, really." She handed Megan her water bottle back. "I shouldn't have touched your stuff. I'm really sorry."

"It's fine," Megan dismissed. "It just sounded like someone was dying out here." Which Caroline pretty much was.

"I'm glad you're okay!" Megan piped, before turning around to go back to her shower.

As soon as the door was shut Caroline furiously whispered, "She knows who we are! She drinks vervain water!"

"Nobody has told me what vervain is yet," I poinedt out.

"Right," Elena said, turning to me a bit. "It's poison for vampires." She turned back to Caroline. "That doesn't mean she knows about us."

"Seriously?" Caroline protested. "We share a bathroom with this girl! What if she's a hunter, and tries to stake us in the shower? Or, she steals our daylight rings while we're asleep, and we burst into flames when the sun comes up?"

Elena grabbed Caroline's shoulders. "Do you think that if she was a hunter, we'd be dead by now?"

"I think we should lock her up," Caroline went on, ignoring Elena. "You know, let the vervain get out of her system. And then we compel her to forget about us."

"Caroline, I'm not kidnapping our roommate!" Elena protested. "The best way to convince her that we're normal is to _act_ normal. Do...normal, human..._freshman-y_ stuff."

"You guys are vampires," I said. "You can't get that normal."

"You're not exactly helping, Jules," Elena said with a groan.

"Okay, if we were to act like normal freshman," Caroline interrupted us. "What would we do?"

A small smile inched its way to Elena's face, and I knew what she was thinking.

* * *

There was excited chatter and blasting music throughout the neighbourhood of Whitmore College, but I wasn't sure it's not an abnormal thing. I mean, this was a _college._ I had been to a frat party (against Elena's wishes, but I had simply stated that she wasn't the boss of me and after the party she was the one helping me nurse my hangover) and loud music wasn't uncommon.

"I am going to get so drunk tonight!" I said giddily. It had been an entire summer without one drop of alcohol, and I was also single and ready to mingle.

"Just go easy, okay?" Elena asked. "I know I technically don't have the right anymore, but you just woke up from a coma, I don't want you to do anything to hurt yourself."

There was a bit of an awkward silence until it was broken by a voice.

"Hey, I remember you," the voice said, and we all turned around to see the guy from earlier, that invited us to the party.

"Hey," Elena said, her eyes flickering over to Caroline. "Flyer guy."

"Jesse," He corrected. "But Flyer Guy works too."

"I'm Elena," My sister started. "This is my sister, Juliet, and our friend, Caroline."

Caroline was avoiding Jesse's gaze, and I gave her a subtle nudge. She had to at least be polite. And hey, if she wasn't going to go after the guy, I would. He was really good looking, and seemed funny.

"Hi," Caroline quickly gave, before turning around to walk way. Elena and I just gave Jesse apologetic looks before going after her.

"Caroline, wait up," I said, and finally fell into stride with her.

"Could you be nice to the guy?" Elena asked her.

"I'm with Tyler," Caroline simply said.

"What, and that automatically means that you can't just _talk_ with other guys? Be polite to other guys?" I asked.

"And, no offense, Care," Elena started, and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. When people start sentences with "no offense", then the person was going to get offended. "But are you? I mean, he hasn't called-"

"From the mountains of Appalachia?" Caroline finished sarcastically.

"I'm just saying, I don't want you to get your hopes up thinking that he's coming, when he hasn't been showing much interest," Elena pointed out.

"Did you tell Damon that you've been having dreams about Stefan?" Caroline retorted, and I couldn't help the snort that escaped me.

"What? What was that?" Elena asked, turning around to face me.

"I'm sorry Elena, but Caroline's got a point," I said. "Communication is very important in a relationship, and if you are having dreams about Stefan, then you should tell Damon." Before Elena could freak on me, I turned to Caroline. "And you should call Tyler to see what his plans are. That type of communication is just as important, Caroline."

"Yeah, like you're the best judge of communication," Elena muttered, about to walk forward.

Excuse me? She was not getting away with that that easily. "I'm sorry? When have I not communicated in a relationship?"

"You and Klaus sure communicated very well," Elena said.

"Wait, who's Klaus?" Did I actually have a boyfriend?

"Elena, not tonight," Caroline insisted. "Let's just party and have fun tonight."

"You know what?" I said. "You guys can party without me." I turned around to leave.

"Jules, wait," Caroline started.

"No," I said, not even bothering to turn around. "I just don't feel very well. I'm gonna go get some rest."

"I'm sorry, Juliet," Elena said. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

"Elena," I said, spinning on my heel. "It's not you. It's just been a long week. I was in a coma a week ago. I just want to get some rest. I'm not in the partying mood."

I turned around, and kept walking. Who was Klaus? And why was Elena being all pissy? Vampires didn't get their time of the month, did they?

I didn't feel like going back to the dorm just yet, so I just pulled out my cell phone and took a walk. I had being going through my contacts, to see if I could recognize any names. I could recognize all of them, except for Stefan's and Damon's.

According to Matt, the best person to find out what's been going on is myself, and when I packed for college, I decided to pack all my diaries since September 10, 2009. They were saved from the fire because I apparently I ran inside and managed to save them (nearly getting myself killed in the process) but what could I say? Memories are important to me. And now I was glad that I saved them.

I had just made it back to our dorm when two figures began rushing towards me. "Juliet!" I heard.

I turned around to see Elena and Caroline. "What?"

"Oh, thank God you're okay!" Caroline said as both girls pulled me into a hug.

"Why would I not be okay?" I asked as I pulled back.

They both shared uneasy looks as Elena finally said, "Megan's dead."

* * *

After they both calmed me down because I freaked out so bad, Elena explained that they were on the phone with Megan when she suddenly fell from a tree, dead.

They were about to lead me into the room because I was suddenly shaky on my feet, but I could feel Elena freeze in her tracks. She was staring at the door, so I followed her gaze to see that the door to our dorm was cracked open.

Elena went in first, and quickly took a survey of the room. "Someone's been in here."

"Well no shit, Sherlock," I said as I followed behind her. "We all have keys, and we all made sure the door was shut when we left."

"That's not the point!" She protested as Caroline went over to the desk and turned a lamp on.

"Megan's tablet is gone," Caroline revealed.

"Along with her so-called suicide note," Elena added.

"Wait, I thought you guys said a vampire did this," I said.

"We did. And it was," Caroline said. "But the school is covering it up as a suicide?"

"Why?" I asked as Elena took Megan's phone from Caroline to look in.

"This just doesn't make any sense!" Caroline groaned. "First, the roommate we're _not_ supposed to have _might_ know about vampires, and then happens to be killed by a vampire, and now the school is covering it up. "I mean, seriously? Who _is_ this girl?"

I just shrugged as I watched Elena's eyes bug out of her head. "Whatever's going on, it's not just about our roommate," She said.

"Then what is it about?" I asked.

"Us," She revealed, and I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, and Elena turns the phone around for me too look at. "That's Megan," She said.

"With your dad," Caroline finished.

I rolled my eyes. "I can remember that much, guys."

* * *

In the end, we all just decided to get some rest, because classes start the next day. It was still kinda early though, and I wanted a few answers before I go to bed, so I grabbed the diary that dates back to September, 2009, and my booklight. Elena opted to take a shower before bed, and Caroline sat in her bed.

I had headphones stuck in my ears as I read, but I could hear subtle sobs coming from my right, where Caroline's bed was.

I pulled my head phones out and turned my head to see Caroline on the phone, most likely listening to a message. I strained to hear, and I faintly heard our friend, Tyler Lockwood's voice. I guess sometime during the last two years the two had begun dating.

But why was Caroline crying? He wouldn't dump her over the phone. If he did, I will personally go to the Appalachians and kick his sorry ass.

"Are you okay, Caroline?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She lied with a sniffle.

I gave her a look. "Caroline?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I have to kick Tyler's ass?"

She laughed through her tears. "I'm really glad you're here, Jules. I'm really glad you're awake. I've missed you."

I smiled. "I missed you too."

Caroline suddenly went a bit serious. "The whole thing with Elena bringing up Klaus was uncalled for. She knows that. But you know her. When she gets pissed, she doesn't like to hold back."

"I know," I said. "I just hope I'll figure out who Klaus is soon," I said, holding up my diary. "I've been slowly finding out details of my life."

"Well," Caroline said. "Good luck. There's a lot of stuff that's happened in our lives. I hope you're ready to find out. And If you have any questions, just ask me."

"I will," I said, settling back into bed with the book. "Night, Care."

"Goodnight, Jules," She replied, turning over in her bed. "See you in the morning." And soon enough I could hear her soft snores.

I waited until Elena was done her shower and in her own bed until I reopened my diary. It dated back to August, when my parents died, but now I had finally made it to September 10, 2009.

The day my life supposedly changed forever.

Here goes nothing.

* * *

**TBC...**

**How do you like it?**

**I promise, all her history will be revealed with time. A lot of it is actually going to start in the next episode, True Lies, which I will hopefully get up soon.**

**Let me know how you like it!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	2. True Lies

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **We get to start with a flashback!

Oh, and I'll also be probably making a polyvore account for this story, just FYI.

And _italics_ will always be either a flashback, diary, or a dream sequence. And occasionally thought processes, but you'll be able to figure out which is which.

* * *

**Enjoy!**

_ I fumbled with all the books in my hands. Great. First day of school and I was already drowning._

_ I was walking down the hall, trying not to bump into people. I let my guard down for one second, and in that one second, I collided with someone, falling to the ground, taking all my books with me._

_ "Ouch," I groaned, shaking my hands. _

_ "I'm so sorry," The person who I bumped into said. The voice was distinctly male._

_ "It's okay," I replied, not making eye contact. I started picking up my books. "I wasn't watching where I was going."_

_ "Here, let me help you," He said, and he dropped to the ground next to me._

_ "Really, it's fine," I said, reaching for my history book at the same time as him, and I finally looked up at him. I found myself staring into the most gorgeous pair of green eyes I had ever seen in my life._

_ I immediately blushed, and shook my head. "I wasn't watching where I was going."_

_ The boy smiled back at me. "It's my fault. I should have seen a girl behind the stack of books." _

_ I let out a small laugh as we both stood up. "You sure do have a lot of books, though," He commented. "What class do you have next?"_

_ "Um, history, with Tanner," I mumbled._

_ "What a coincidence," He said. "So do I." He grabbed half of my stack, ignoring my protests. "Well, as long as we're going the same way, I might as well help. I mean, we can finally see your face."_

_ I laughed as we began walking towards the history room. "So you've basically become my knight in shining armour and I don't even know your name."_

_ "Well, you've become my damsel in distress and I don't know your name," He retorted with a smirk. "I'm Stefan."_

_ "Well Stefan," I said. "I'm Juliet. But call me Julie or Jules. People don't really call me Juliet. And to be honest, I don't really like it when they do."_

_ "Why not? Juliet is a wonderful name," Stefan pointed out. "Like Juliet Capulet."_

_ "Oh yeah, Juliet Capulet," I said sarcastically. "That's who I should aspire to be."_

_ "What's with the sarcasm?" He asked as we came to a stop outside of Tanner's classroom._

_ "Well, Juliet Capulet was a dumb thirteen year old girl who killed herself because her boyfriend of three days who was also a dumb seventeen year old boy who killed _himself_ because he thought that Juliet was dead," I answered._

_ "But don't you find that romantic?" Stefan pressed. "I thought girls were supposed to fawn over that romance stuff."_

_ "Not if it's stupidity," I corrected with a laugh._

_ "So you're saying," He started, taking a tiny step forward, that I was very aware about. "That you don't think it's romantic at all that someone could love you so much that they wouldn't even want to be parted from you in death?"_

_ I was trying not to hyperventilate, my gaze locked with his. My hands were getting all clammy as the bell for class rung, effectively saving my life. "I'll have to get back to you on that."_

_ Stefan nodded. "Make sure that you do. I'm interested in the answer." He put the rest of my books on top of my stack, and made a big show of bowing. "After you, Miss. Capulet."_

_ I couldn't help a laugh. "Why thank you, Mr. Montague," I said, and as I walked in, I threw over my shoulder, "But you know, Capulet's not my last name. It's Gilbert."_

_ "And Montague is not _my_ last name," Stefan informed me. "It's Salvatore."_

_ "Well," I said, sinking into my seat, grateful that I was finally sitting down and my legs were finally regaining the feeling in them after Stefan's stare. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Stefan Salvatore."_

_ "And it's nice to meet _you_, Miss. Juliet Gilbert."_

* * *

I awoke with a start, propelling myself forward with a deep gasp. I took a couple breaths to try and steady myself, and eventually, it worked.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked me from her dresser. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Not really," I answered, running a hand through my bedraggled hair. "It wasn't a nightmare."

"You're probably just freaking yourself out," Caroline supplied. "I mean, you have been reading your diaries for the past couple of days. That's a lot of information for a person to take in in such a short time."

Caroline was right. I had been eating, breathing, and sleeping my diaries. Especially the sleeping part.

I had been having these weird dreams. I mean, my diary wasn't so vivid, and it actually looked like I lost interest at some point, because it took sudden time jumps sometimes. But I had been learning a lot, and was certainly influencing my dreams.

Like this one, for example.

I dreamed about the first time I met Stefan.

And it was so vivid. From the way his hair was styled to the colour of his shirt, and from the way my hair fell into my eyes to the pattern I had painted on my nails that day.

And when I said I had been learning a lot, I did mean a _lot._ I had learnt about Stefan and Damon's history (which I had no idea why I recorded), this chick named Katherine who was apparently Elena's doppelganger and a vampire (or an ex-vampire, as Elena had kindly told me when I asked about Katherine) who basically tried to screw over our lives by handing Elena over to this evil British vampire-werewolf hybrid named Klaus.

Whom I had not been particularly shy with, apparently. But I would rather go into that story later in favour of the one that was more heavily on my mind.

I was in love with Stefan Salvatore.

Well, at least before. According to myself, I had fallen for Stefan when I first met him (can you blame me, though?) but when I found out that Elena liked him, I backed off (I still do not know why). But then with each deed that Stefan had done to keep me and my family safe, I had fallen for him more. And it all came to a head when Stefan left with Klaus to get a cure for a werewolf bite from Klaus. And I'll admit, I had kinda re-fallen for him through reading my diaries.

Unfortunately, I was not a person to deal with feelings. I hate them. Well, I hate showing them. So when I started getting these feelings for Stefan, I didn't know what to do, especially since he was happy with Elena. So I did the only thing that I thought could have been done at the time.

I slept with the enemy.

But can you blame me? I had a couple pictures of this so called Klaus on my phone, and hot damn. I was kinda proud of myself for landing myself with someone like that.

But Klaus and I had a genuine friendship, because he was apparently in love with Caroline, and I loved to tease him about it. And at the beginning of the summer, he relocated to New Orleans, but not without inviting me first. But I had declined in favour of staying in Mystic Falls and trying to sort my life out. I should give him a call sometime, just see how he was doing. And let him know that I was in a coma.

"Megan's memorial outside is growing by the minute," Elena told me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Ugh. College kids are so dramatic. She was on campus for like, a day. She couldn't have made that many friends," Caroline said as I put my diary (I was now on October, 2011) into my side table drawer and pushed my blanket off of me to get ready for school. I stretched, wincing at the ache in my back and neck muscles as I did so. That hasn't been the first time I'd fallen asleep reading one of my diaries. I seriously needed a massage or something.

"Caroline, she's _dead_," Elena reminded our blonde friend. "You can stop competing with her."

Caroline just sighed in response. "Sorry, I'm in a mood," She said, throwing something into a cardboard box.

"Have you talked to Tyler?" Elena asked.

"He's deferring from enrolling _and_ deferring from returning my phone calls," She informed us. "So _I'm_ deferring from having sex with him ever again."

"Way to go, Caroline," I supported. "Fight the power."

We both laughed as we high fived. It was then that I took the opportunity to look inside the box that Caroline had been going through. "What are you even _doing_?"

"Snooping through Megan's stuff," She answered, and I just shrugged as I made my way over to the bathroom.

I just had to brush my teeth (I took a shower last night, so I didn't see the point in taking one this morning), so I left the door open so I could listen to Elena and Caroline talk.

"Any explanation why our vervain-laced-" There was a pause from Elena. "-vampire slaughtered roommate had a picture of our dad on her phone?"

"No," Caroline answered.

I quickly finished, and was walking out when I saw Elena handing Caroline a brown folder.

"What is that?" I asked as I went over to my drawers to pick something out for the day.

"I went to the hospital this morning. Megan's death certificate," She explained. "It says she died of a suicide. No mention of the gaping vampire bite on her neck. So, whoever signed off on her death was a part of the cover up. Just like the Founder's Council back home."

Ha! Founder's Council! I actually knew this one. It was basically a society of the town's founding families that knew about the existence of vampires and worked to keep the town safe from them. But that kind of backfired, don't you think?

"Doctor Wesley Maxfield," Caroline read from the certificate.

"A.K.A, our Applied Microbiology professor," Elena supplied. Before Caroline or I could ask what she was talking about, she said, "I switched all of our classes around so that we-"

"Applied what-what?" Caroline interrupted. "Uh, Elena, we're all supposed to be taking Intro to Communication! What happened to getting drunk and making bad decisions about boys?" Caroline was kinda hysterical now. "What happened to our fun freshman year at college-I am supposed to be a drama major!"

"You're not going to be an _anything_ major if we get exposed as vampires!" Elena declared, a little too loudly. Elena took a deep breath in, calming herself down. "We are still going to have our fun year, Caroline. But we have to protect ourselves. The way Damon kept his secret in Mystic Falls is because he infiltrated the Founder's Council. So bust out those alleged acting skills and let's get on it, okay?"

Caroline still looked a little pissed, but Elena's infectious smile was just what she needed to relieve it, and she smiled back.

I, however, didn't smile. "Hey! I'm not a vampire, why do I have to take Applied Microbiology? I was supposed to be taking Intro to Sociology!"

Elena sighed. "Come on, Jules! Just do this for us for now. I promise if you don't like it, you can drop it. Now, if you could please go get ready."

I just rolled my eyes as I grabbed a towel and marched into the bathroom. "Stupid vampires..."

* * *

I had tried to take a nice, long shower, but Elena the party pooper made me cut it short. I quickly left the bathroom, and rolled myself into a pair of denim shorts, a light pink tank top, and black converse. And then, the three Musketeers (aka Caroline, Elena, and I) were out the door and headed to Applied Microbiology. Blech.

We walked into the classroom, and we were about to make our way up to sit at the back, when a voice paused us in our tracks. "Hey, blow-off girl."

Caroline, Elena, and I turned our heads to see Jesse, the guy from the party. "Aren't you a freshman?" He asked, looking specifically at Caroline. The said blonde widened her eyes. "How are you in this class?"

"What?" She laughed, trying not to freak out. Caroline looked around the room for help. "I love...Applied...Micro..biology."

Elena laughed slightly, to back her up, but I laughed because her awkwardness was funny. I just shook my head as I continued up the steps, and took a seat.

Caroline and Elena talked with Jesse for a bit more, before they came up and joined me. "Jules? We're going to a party tonight."

"Another one?" I asked. "You know, I'm getting a little tired from socializing so much." I started fanning myself dramatic. "A queen needs her rest, you know."

Elena just gave me a playful nudge, before looking over to Caroline, who was giving her a look of annoyance. "Oh come on," She started. "You're the one who wanted to make bad decisions about boys. He's cute, he's interested, and most importantly, unlike Tyler, he's here."

I was kind of getting annoyed with Elena's attitude towards Tyler. Sure, Tyler Lockwood never has been the best guy, but as long as they made each other happy, it shouldn't matter, should it?

That was what I thought, though. My diary, however, said otherwise, but I think that was mostly because I used to ship Klaus and Caroline when I had my memories. Huh. Klaus and Caroline. There was a name in there somewhere.

Before I could stick up for Caroline and her decisions, the door opened, and the professor walked in.

"Morning, everyone," He said. "I'm Doctor Maxfield. First name is Wes, but call me _Doctor_ Maxfield," _Doctor_ Maxfield said as he put his bag down. He was kinda young, not that much older than what Damon looks like. He was also...kinda sorta cute, for a teacher. I exchanged a quick glance with Elena, and I could tell she was thinking the same thing. I sunk down in my chair to get more comfortable to listen to Doctor Good-Looking-_ahem_, I meant Doctor Maxfield's, lecture. "One day, when you're out of med school, you'll understand." He leaned on his counter. "So. You're all going to this, bonfire, tonight, right? Well, here's a quick history lesson for you-Whitmore was founded as a hospital during the Civil War. Deadliest war in American history-over six hundred thousand casualties."

Would it be completely and morally wrong that I was a bit turned on? Just by the way, he was talking, though, not what he was talking about.

"Disease was so prevalent that-once a week-they had to gather all the dead, rotting bodies, put them in a pile...and light them on fire," He finished with a smile, and I wasn't so turned on anymore. "So tonight," He started, in an annoyed tone of voice. "When you're getting drunk and partying, stop for a second, close your eyes, and imagine the rancid smell of a hundred rotting corpses."

"Creep-_y_," Caroline whispered to me, putting emphasis on the 'y' as Wes kept talking.

"So what?" I whispered back, half listening to what he was talking about. Some sort of bacteria that I did not know the answer to, but I was curious, so I looked it up on my phone when he wasn't looking. "His hotness totally overshadows the creepiness."

Caroline snorted quietly as Elena gently whispered, "She's right."

"Isn't that right, chatty girls in the back?" Doctor Good-Looking snapped, and the three of us snapped our heads to face him. Well, that was mean. He was so not good looking to me anymore. Okay, that was a lie.

"And what is that bacteria?" He went on to ask.

"Uh..it's uh..." Elena stammered. "I don't know," She finally admitted defeat.

Cadaverine. That's what my search said.

"Maybe because you're freshman who shouldn't be in this class," He said, and I rolled my eyes at him. "How do I know? I'm observant. A skill you'll learn in Bio 101." He pointed to the door. "Down the hall."

Elena, Caroline, and I just quietly picked our stuff up. I could feel about fifty pairs of eyes burning a hole in my back as I walked down the steps. But nobody humiliates Juliet Jordan Gilbert and/or her friends and gets away with it.

As I neared the door, I detoured towards Wes, stopping close to his ear as I whispered, "I believe the answer you are looking for is cadaverine." I leaned even closer as my voice turned into a soft, seductive, voice, "_Doctor_, Maxfield." I trailed my eyes down his form, before leaning back in. "Those new pants?" I quickly pulled back with a wink, and victory coursed through my body as I saw Wes flush pink. I began walking towards the door again, and just shrugged when I saw Elena and Caroline gaping at me from outside of the hall, where they were waiting for me.

Again, no one gets away with it.

"I can't believe you just said that to the Microbiology teacher," Caroline said as we started walking out of the building.

I shrugged again. "He was acting like a douche. Grant it, he's a hot douche, so at least he's got something to remember me by," I finished with a small grin. What I said and did to Wes (yes, I was calling him Wes in clear defiance) made me start thinking about someone else I had apparently constantly flirted-and done other stuff-with.

I spun around on my heel. "I don't have class for another hour and a half. I'm gonna go grab a bite to eat."

"Oh, I'll come with you," Caroline offered, but I shook my head.

"Nah. I'm gonna get some reading done," I told her, patting my book bag that held my diary, laptop, and a notebook with a couple of pens. Actually, because I didn't want her listening in on my conversation.

"Okay," She chirped, and I quickly turned back around and ran to find the nearest Starbucks on campus.

It's 9:00 AM, and I hadn't had a coffee yet.

As soon as I was sure I was far away enough, I fished my phone out of my pocket, scrolled through the contacts name, and clicked the name I wanted. I listened to a couple rings before it picked up. "Hello?" A British voice said.

"Klaus?" I said. "It's Julie. Do you have some time to talk?"

* * *

"And it's like," I ranted to Klaus as I took a bite out of my brownie half an hour later. "I'm not a vampire. So why should I have had to take that stupid class, to spy on some stupid teacher, that I don't even have to care about?"

"Because your sister is a vampire, love," Klaus replied in an exasperated voice.

"And I care, because?"

"Wow," He purred, and the way he said it kind of made my toes curl. Another point for me, for landing someone British. "I have to say, I'm liking this post-coma Juliet a lot more than pre-coma Juliet."

"Calm down, Klaus," I said with a grin as I polish off the brownie. "You're in New Orleans, and I'm in Mystic Falls-well, sort of. No way would I be there and back in time for my next class."

"Which is why you should have just come to New Orleans with me," He replied. "You wouldn't have had your accident, and you and I could have sex any time we wanted."

I actually laughed. "Nice try, Klaus. You'll just have to get off with that little werewolf of yours," I said. "How is, uh-Hayley, was her name?"

"To be honest, love, I care about Hayley just as much as you do."

"Which is, not at all?"

"Correct," He said. "Anyways, enough about me. How are things with you? Being out of a three month coma must be pretty exciting."

"If we're being honest here, sweetie," I said, using the nickname I apparently had for Klaus. "Not really. My first day of college and I've blown my reputation."

"What reputation?"

"Exactly!" I explained. "How am I supposed to build a reputation when teachers are dragging on me?"

"I don't know," He answered. "But let's not talk about school. How are _you_ faring?"

"As well as any post-coma patient should, I guess," I told him. "I'm taking the meds, reading the books. It's just kind of hard, without most of my memories."

"How are you dealing with that, anyways?"

"Well, Matt supplied some things, Elena and Caroline others, but most of what I'm getting is from my diary," I said, patting the book in front of me. I smoothed my hand over the cover.

"Anything about me in there?" He asked in a flirty tone.

"_Maybe_," I answered in a ridiculous school girl tone. "Just that you have a nice butt and make cute noises when I kiss your neck."

"I am guilty of both those qualities."

I laughed one final time, before saying, "All right, I should let you get back to your New Orleans business. I'm sure you're very busy with it."

"Yes, I am, as a matter of fact," Klaus said. "I had to put aside three meetings to fit your phone call in."

"Bye, Klaus," I said.

"Goodbye, Juliet."

As I hang up, I remembered something that I read in my diary, right around when Klaus and I first met. He was the only one that calls me Juliet. Well, him and his older brother, Elijah, whom I have yet to meet. But if he was related to Klaus, he was going to be attractive.

I opened up the diary, but it wasn't the most recent one. It was my oldest one, filled with lots of stuff about Stefan, when I was first interested in him. There was one interaction with us that is by far my favourite. It didn't end all that favourably, though. It was when it was the night of the comet...

* * *

_ I turned around to see Stefan wandering around with an empty candle. Deciding to be of help, I marched right over. "Well," I started, and he turned his head at my voice. "If it isn't Romeo Montague. Oh, my bad. Stefan Salvatore."_

_ Stefan smirked. "You are very funny, Juliet Capulet-oh wait, Juliet Gilbert," He corrected himself._

_ "Would you look at that? He's got a sense of humour," I said. Even though Elena was interested in him, she wasn't making a move. That gives me permission to try and flirt, doesn't it?_

_ "I do have some qualities, you know," He said._

_ I noticed his unlit candle, and I gestured to it. "Do you mind if I-?"_

_ Stefan shook his head. "No, not at all. Go ahead."_

_ I smiled as I bent my candle to light his, my eyes fixating on the flames so that I wasn't tempted to look into his eyes, where I'd most likely get lost forever._

_ I finally looked back up at him, and locked gazes with him. His eyes searched my face for a second before he spoke up, "I'm sorry about Damon, earlier. He told me you stopped by."_

_ "Yeah, I did. You borrowed my history book, remember? I just stopped by to see if you were home because I needed it," I said._

_ "Sorry if he was a hassle to you," He said._

_ I thought back to my encounter with Damon earlier. "He wasn't that much, actually. A little-" I paused, trying to think of the word. "Forward, for lack of better word, but he wasn't that much of a hassle."_

_ Stefan laughed at my words. "That's good." _

_ There was a tiny break of silence until I decided to break it. "You didn't mention that you had a brother. I mean, you did mention that you had a sibling that day at the Grill, but I thought that you didn't talk to your sibling. Or sibling_s_, if you have more than one."_

_ "Yeah. I guess you can tell why I don't generally talk about my siblings," He said._

_ I noded. "Elena mentioned what went down with you, her, and Damon when she went over to talk to you."_

_ "Really?" He said, suddenly perking up with interest. "What did she say?"_

_ Uh-oh. This was it. I could either ruin Stefan and Elena, or I could make it happen, right then. Elena's been in the worst funk since our parents died. And Stefan sort of brought her out of it. But what about me? I deserved not to be in a funk. Well, I wasn't in an as serious one, but still!_

_ But Elena had been taking our parents death harder than me, and Stefan was definitely contributing to making her happy._

_ With a sigh, I ended up saying, "All good things. Well, about you. Damon, not so much."_

_ Stefan let out a sigh of relief. I couldn't help but smile at the cute noise, but frowned a bit when I saw Stefan's gaze. I followed it, and my heart fell a little when I saw that he was staring at Elena. Deciding that Stefan and Elena both deserve to be happy, I leaned over and said, "She really likes you."_

_ Stefan's head snapped over to me. "What are you talking about?"_

_ "She's been through a lot, especially in the past year," I kept going, since he knew fully well what I was talking about. "You make her happy, and she makes you happy, and..." I looked back over at my younger sister, happily laughing with our friends. "...if you let her go now, you're gonna regret it for the rest of your life. Maybe not today. Maybe, not tomorrow. But the next day, _that's _when you'll regret it," I actually managed to joke._

_ Stefan looked over at me, and smiles. "Think I've got a shot, Capulet?"_

_ "If you get there and light her candle before Matt does, then definitely, Montague," I replied with a smile._

_ He gave me a sideways hug. "Thanks, Jules. I'll catch you later."_

_ "Catch you later, Romeo," I said softly._

_ I watched as he walked over to my sister. Elena deserve some happiness in her life, especially ever since the accident. As I watched Stefan light Elena's candle and talked to her, my smile dropped. Why do I suddenly feel jealous at the sight of them? Shaking my head at the question, I looked down at my hands, and then left to find my friends._

* * *

"What are you reading?" A voice said, bringing me out of my reading.

I turned my head, and gasped to see that I had come face to face with the one and only Stefan Salvatore.

"Stefan!" I squeaked in a high pitched voice, flipping my book shut as fast as possible. I quickly grabbed it, shoving it into my bag before standing up, and trying to position myself casually, as if I wasn't reading about him crushing my soul. "What are you doing here?"

Stefan Salvatore looked the same as he did in my dream, memory, thing. Same green eyes, same hair, same everything. Except for his clothes, of course.

"What, I can't visit one of my best friends who has just woken up from a coma at her college?" He asked.

"You could have visited said friend when she was in the hospital. And shown up at her welcome home party," I added.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make that," He apologized.

I groaned, before shaking my head. "You know I can't stay mad at that face," I finally say, before stepping on my tipy toes to wrap my arms around his neck in a hug.

I hadn't seen Stefan in three months, and forgot over two years of memories with the guy, but I felt weird when I hugged him. I always thought when I saw Stefan again, I'd be all happy, warm, fluffy, like my diary had described. When I hugged him here, I felt a bit...cold. I don't know why, though, that was just the thing.

I pulled back from him, putting my arms behind my back. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a sinister look on Stefan's face, but when I blinked, it was just Stefan again. What the hell was that? "But seriously, what are you doing here? Can't possibly be just to check up on me."

"You're right," He said playfully. "I'm here to see Elena."

And even though I feared those words, they broke my heart. I lowered my eyes slightly. "Right. And you were probably hoping that I've seen here around."

Stefan nodded. "Have you?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Sorry. Last I saw her was about half an hour ago. I'm sure if you call her she'll answer. She's got to be around here somewhere."

He smiled, the same smile in my dream. "Thanks, Juliet."

I nodded, a strong smile on my face. "I'll see you around, Montague?" I tried. According to my diary, Stefan and I always mentioned Romeo and Juliet in greeting or goodbye. So I decided to try and get back into the steady of things.

Stefan lightly tapped my arm. "See you around." And with that, he's gone. As I watched him walk away, something odd hit me.

He didn't call me Capulet. Or Juliet.

Which meant...nothing. Right?

* * *

My second (but first official, since I bailed on the last party) party at Whitmore had been effectively ruined when I remembered what Doctor Maxfield said about the dead bodies. I decided to grab a beer to calm my nerves. But when I tried to, the stupid nozzle thing or whatever it's called wasn't working. I desperately shook it to try and get it to work.

"WORK, YOU STUPID NOZZLE THING!" I cried out. Stupidly, I was on the verge of tears. _Over a nozzle._

Well, I guess not just the nozzle. The memories of Stefan, Stefan coming back, the sense that he didn't even care about me. I mean, my diary _and_ Caroline have both said that we were best friends. I even set aside my feelings for him so that he and my sister could have a chance to be happy for pete's sake! And there he was, just thinking about Elena. As my diary had stated, if everyone in that god forsaken town had taken their heads out of Elena's ass, then maybe we would have gotten a lot more done. But nope. Elena was a goddess.

And I was the mule.

A hand grabbed mine, and I jumped when it did, but then I looked over and sighed when I saw Jesse. "Thank God, it's you, Flyer Guy. I thought I was going to have to kick someone's ass, and I'm not in the mood for ass kicking tonight."

Jesse laughed at my lame attempt at a joke. "I got that for you."

I wiped at the dumb frustration tears that had formed, which alarmed Jesse. "Whoa. Are you okay?"

"Just, guy drama," I answered, grabbing the cup from his hand. The probably only plus side of living in Mystic Falls?

You learned how to drink by age sixteen.

Which is why I downed the drink in one go. It has been a while since I've drunken any alcohol, since Matt wouldn't let me touch any of it at my welcome home party (saying that it wasn't good for my health and yadda yadda yadda), so when I drank it, it burned on the way down. It sure as hell made me feel better right after, though.

"Wow," He said as I handed the cup back to him to refill. "Guy drama, getting kicked out of class...today is _really_ not your day, is it?"

"Oh you have no _idea_, Flyer Guy," I said as he handed me the cup back. This time when I drank it, it went down better, so I felt a lot better. "What's his deal, anyways?"

"Doctor Dickfield?"

I laughed. "Nice one. I like that. Though, I think the only highlight of my day was getting Doctor Dickfield to picture me naked."

Jesse burst into laughter. "Yeah, what did you say to him?"

I smiled innocently. "I just told him what he wanted to know. The answer." I paused. "In a way that might have implied that I wanted to sleep with him."

He laughed again. "You've got a sense of humour. I like that." He puckered his lips, a concentrated look on his face. "Tell you what. Help me grab some firewood, and I will tell you everything you need to know."

I thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Sure." I started following Jesse, then joked, "But we _are_ talking about how to get into Maxfield's pants, right?"

He just nudged me, and we started making our way to the woodshed. As we were walking, I saw Elena at the corner of my eye heading to the keg area. I wonder if Stefan ended up finding her. Whatever, I didn't care.

"I had Doctor Maxfield for a few classes last year," Jesse started. "He's a _jerk_, but he's brilliant, so I'll give him a pass."

"Brilliantly creepy," I couldn't help but comment, and Jesse snorted. "It's true! That story about the dead bodies made me want to drop to the ground and join those bodies just to erase the story from my mind. It was disgusting!"

"That's Doctor Maxfield for you," Jesse told me. He paused, and I turned around from where I was gathering wood to look at what it was. And he was looking at me oddly.

I almost asked "what", but he spoke before I could. "There's...a rumour that he's part of this secret society on campus."

"Secret society of what? People plotting to ruin the lives and mentality of young adults, or the kind of society that sits around drinking bourbon-whiskey all day? Maybe even the ones that want to help the environment?"

"I have no idea," Jesse revealed. "All I know is that, a few times a week, they supposedly meet at Whitmore House." I nodded, processing the information, when Jesse pointed a piece of firewood in my direction. "But you didn't hear that from me," He warned, and I made the 'lock-my-lips-and-throw-away-the-key' gesture, and gave him a smile. It fell as Jesse suddenly dropped to the ground, and Damon was standing right in front of me.

"What the hell?" I asked him, dropping down next to Jesse to see if he was okay.

"Have you seen Elena?" He sounded desperate. I rack my brain.

"I wasn't exactly looking for her, but last I saw was at the kegs. And that was less than ten minutes ago? I'm sure she's still there," I answered him as Caroline came running in.

"Seriously?" She called out in a high pitched voice. "That's Jesse! I kind of liked him!"

"I knew it!" I declared, throwing an accusatory finger in her direction. I looked back to where Damon was, but he was gone.

I was suddenly hit with a very painful headache, and I couldn't help the scream that crawled up my throat.

"Julie? Julie! Are you okay?" I faintly heard Caroline, but I ignored her in favour of the images that were flashing through my mind. Elena and Damon making out (not an image I really wanted to see), Elena dousing Damon with Megan's protein water a.k.a her vervain water, and then there was a bunch of screaming but I couldn't decipher the words. It was all over in the span of thirty seconds.

Ignoring Caroline's concerns, I rose steadily to my feet and went barreling out the door to try and save Damon from whatever Elena was doing to him.

Unless I was about to walk right into the middle of some sort of vampire foreplay.

Then I didn't want to be there.

Too late to figure out which one now.

* * *

I busted into our dorm room where the images had taken place, and saw Damon all tied up with burn marks on his chest that were already fading, and Elena sitting in the chair opposite him, a poker stuck in her leg.

I had been heaving because of how fast I was running, but I managed to get out the words, "Vampire foreplay, torture, or none of the above?"

Elena and Damon just exchanged looks before Elena said, "None of the above."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's all I need to know," I said, before shutting the door behind me and walking down the dorm hall before crashing down to the ground.

But I wasn't allowed to relax, no way. Because as soon as I sank to the ground, I was hit with the same pain from earlier, though ten times worse. I saw a few flashes, and tried my best to decipher what they meant.

The flashes were all of Stefan. He looked like he was in trouble. He was dressed nothing like how I saw him today. Also, it looked dark where he was. Dark, and filled with water.

And then the images switched again, and the Stefan from the dark place was suddenly standing in front of me. We were both standing above an empty safe, shocked looks on our faces. I was about to ask him what was wrong, but the flashes of that stopped, and the flashes of Stefan in the dark place was back.

And's that's when I realized he was underwater. Scared. Alone. In pain. _Helpless._

I was violently brought out of the state, taking short breathes. I looked down at my sweaty skin, pain still prickling all over my body. I slowly stood up, my hands scrunching my hair.

What was wrong with Stefan? Where was he? Why was he in so much pain?

And who the hell was here, if it wasn't Stefan?

Tears began streaming down my face, part relief from no more pain, and partly because I didn't know where Stefan was.

I was stumbling as I walked, but I managed to fall on top of my dorm. I reached for the doorknob, feeling the dark pull of unconsciousness pulling at me.

Just as I turned it, I lost all feeling in my legs, so I fell forward as the door finally opened.

I heard my name, but I wasn't listening as I was finally pulled into unconsciousness, muttering, "Stefan...safe...water..._not safe..._"

* * *

For as long as I could tell, I was unconscious, and not dreaming, which I gladly welcomed with open arms.

Until that blackness turned see-through, and I saw a figure at the other end. And it was Stefan.

He was unconscious, most likely temporarily dead. Poor thing must have been drowning over and over and over again.

I tried running towards him, but my foot got caught in something, and I struggled to get it out, but it wouldn't work. That's when I was suddenly surrounded by four walls. I didn't know what it was, but I could still sort of see Stefan, so I started banging at the wall, shouting his name. He appeared to be unconscious, though.

I felt something wet at my foot, and I looked down, my body filling with alarm as water began filling the space very quickly. I banged against the wall in front of me as hard as I could, shouting for help. Now I had my stuck foot, the rising water, and being trapped to worry about.

I quickly decided that the rising water issue had to be dealt with first. I tried looking for the source of the water, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I finally just assumed that it was slipping through the cracks of the-_wherever I was _\- and there was no way to stop it.

I was trapped.

If only I knew _where,_ and in _what._ If I could figure out in what, maybe I could figure out a way out.

That wass when I found that the side of the-box, if you will, that I was facing was suddenly transparent, and I was looking straight into the mirror.

As the water finally reached up to my neck, I banged the wall as hard as I could, willing it to change into glass. This was my dream, I could make it glass if I wanted to!

But it wasn't working, and the water was quickly reaching the area of my nose. I finally tilted my head back, and took a final deep breath before it covered my entire head, and I was completely submerged in the water. I knew I didn't have much time left, so I had to at least figure out where I was. I racked my brain trying to put a name to the object that I could finally see. There was a lock, a dial...

The name finally hit me as my brain decided it was too oxygen starved and I began losing consciousness.

_Safe._

* * *

My eyes snapped open, and I threw myself forward, my hand going to my throat as I desperately gasped for air that I didn't need. There were tears of hysteria streaming down my face as the screams escaped my lips.

"Jules! Julie! Calm down!" I felt two strong hands grab my arms, and I stopped screaming long enough to register the face as Caroline's, who pulled me forwards and wrapped her arms around me in a fierce hug.

I began sobbing against her shoulder as she rubbed my back. "It's okay, you're awake now. It was just a dream."

I shook my head against her shoulder. "But it wasn't, Caroline! That's just the thing, it wasn't!"

Caroline pulled back, and gently cupped my face. "You're going home today. You, and Elena, and Damon are all going to find Stefan, and he's going to be perfectly fine. Understand?"

I looked at Caroline through my blurry tears, and managed a nod. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Good," She said, before pulling me into for another tight hug.

* * *

Elena hadn't been there for my outburst, and I made Caroline promise that she wouldn't breathe a word about it to her. Our mission right now was to find Stefan.

As Elena, Damon, and Caroline talked, I stepped over to the side, having already put my stuff in the car. I decided that until we found Stefan, I was gonna stay at the boarding house (I think that was what it was called), just to make things easier for all of us. I pulled my phone out, and began to text Matt the decision I made when I heard a voice saying my name, "Juliet Gilbert?"

I looked up, and blushed when I was looking at Doctor Maxfield. I honestly thought I was never gonna see him again when I made those comments, so you could probably imagine how embarrassed I was feeling as he walked over. He glanced at the travel bag at my side, and my suitcase in the open trunk. "Need a vacation already?"

"Yeah, you know, the stress of hardass teachers was a little overbearing, so I decided I needed a little time to clear my head," I said, giving him a pointed look.

He looked a little...smug? He smirked as he said, "I never pegged Juliet Gilbert as a quitter. Especially since when I kicked her out of my class, she responded by trying to seduce me."

I blushed very hotly, remembering yesterday morning. Yeesh, was that just yesterday? Time went by different in the conscious world, apparently. "Yeah, listen. I'm sorry about that. You just...I don't know. Pushed my buttons. I shouldn't have reacted inappropriately."

"That's right," Wes agreed. "I'm a teacher."

Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Yeah, but you weren't _my_ teacher, so I guess that somehow made it okay in my mind." I instantly winced, and winced even harder at the look on Maxfield's face. "No! That's not what I meant!" I defended, getting all flustery. See the effects hot guys have on me? Wait, did I say that out loud?! I hope I didn't! "Look, the point is, I'm sorry."

The stupid jerk of a teacher could only laugh at my stumbling. Hot jerkbag! "I should apologize too. I shouldn't have been such a hard ass on you."

"No, you shouldn't have," I agreed, crossing my arms. "I'm a student."

"But you weren't _my _student," He responded, using my words. "So that made it okay in my mind."

I had to resist the urge to physically assault my-excuse me, _a _teacher as he continued. "So why are you going back?"

"Oh, I just have a couple of things to sort out. Turns out, my sister can't do anything right." Yes, pin the blame on Elena! According to the diary, it worked every time!

Wes just smiled and nodded a bit. "You're-you're Grayson Gilbert's oldest daughter, right?"

"The one and only," I answered. "But hold up. You knew my dad?"

"Knew _of _him. He's a legend around here. I studied all his research. I can only hope to do the kind of work he did around here," He spoke passionately. Passion. I liked that.

Might as well bring up Megan. "So, does that somehow involve forging death certificates?"

Wes just shook his head with a cute smile before saying, "And here I thought you were just passionate about microbiology."

"Nah," I said, waving it off. "I'm just really passionate about hot teachers." Someone put a muzzle on my mouth. Please.

Wes just kept that cute smile on his face as he said, "I have office hours tomorrow. Come by. We can chat."

"Well, you're not the only teacher on my schedule, you know," I told him. "I have Professor Harley, Professor Johnston, Professor Press."

"So you can fit Professor Press but you can't fit me?" Wes asked sarcastically.

"What can I say?" I said innocently, lifting a shoulder. "I'm a busy student."

"Well, let me know when your schedule clears up," He said, turning around to leave.

But not without throwing a wink in my direction.

Huh. Who knew I was so good at this flirting thing?

Duh, I did. Back in the land of the conscious for not even two weeks and my game was strong, baby, strong!

"Where you just flirting with Doctor Maxfield?" A voice from my left said, and I jumped about five feet in the air, and a little to the right.

I looked over at my blonde friend that had asked the question that nearly gave me a heart attack. "_What the hell, Caroline?_"

"Well, were you?!" She repeated.

I calmed my heart down before I answered her. "Maybe a little."

"Why?"

"Well, he's cute!" I exclaimed. "He's got a good sense of humour, and most of all, cute. So excuse me if I want to be a little flirty in college!"

Caroline just looked at me, and the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a tiny smile. "That's my girl!" She threw an arm around me. "I've taught you well."

I laughed, before turning into her side and giving her a proper hug. "I'm going to miss you so much! Even when you snore!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Hey! I do _not_ snore!" I protested, but ended up laughing again. "I'm gonna miss you too, Care."

After Elena gives Caroline a quick goodbye, Elena, Damon, and I were all on the road, Damon explaining to me that Stefan was Silas's doppelganger, that they looked exactly alike.

I felt like since I've woken up, people have been thinking that my intelligence had left when my memories did.

* * *

"We didn't find anything in the quarry," Liz told Elena, Damon and I as the three of us trekked in the forest. "But a deputy found this a few miles away."

We all made our way to where Liz was talking about, and I felt a jolt run through me as I saw a large, clunky safe. The safe that Stefan has been drowning in all summer. My dream instantly came to my mind, and I had to put a hand to my throat to try and remind myself that I was awake, that that was a dream, that I wasn't really drowning in a quarry.

"Didn't open it," Sheriff Forbes went on. "If Stefan's been in here for three months-" She stepped backwards from the safe, pushing me behind her as she did so. "Chances are, he's hungry."

Damon looked over at me and Liz. "If you think he's going to attack you, _run_." The guy literally didn't leave room for argument. Not that I was going to, though.

When Liz and I nodded, Damon turned towards the safe, and carefully and cautiously unlocked it.

He swung the door open, and I'm not gonna lie when I say that I flinched when he did so. He peered inside, but didn't say anything. Elena looked in too, and then quickly turned her head away. "Oh my God," She groaned. "That's not Stefan."

"Well, you were right, he was hungry," Damon observed. We all subconsciously looked around us, as if Stefan was going to pop out of nowhere and just massacre us all. "I bet he still is," He said as he looked back into the safe.

_ Well, since Stefan's not inside of it, _I thought as I pushed past Liz to see what the big fuss was about. _How much harm could it be to look ins-_

And I realized it could have done me a lot of harm by looking into the safe. And it did.

There was a dead body inside, its neck all tore away and covered in blood. What little I ate for breakfast made its way up, but I tried as hard as I could to keep it down. I tried thinking of anything cute. Bunnies, puppies, Doctor Maxfield!

But in the end, not even Doctor Good-Looking was enough to keep me from running towards a bush and tossing my cookies all over it.

* * *

**TBC...**

**A LOT of stuff in this episode! I really liked writing it! I think it may be my favourite to write so far.**

**Okay, so a lot of stuff was revealed this episode! We shall go more in depth with some of them in the next episode, Original Sin. Which, if it works out as well as I'm planning, should be up within this week, or before the weekend is up.**

**We also got a peek of her relationship with Klaus! Which shall also go more in depth as the story goes on.**

**P.S, What are you guys thinking of hers and Stefan's relationship? Good? Bad? What about hers and Doctor Good-Looking **_***ahem* **_**Doctor Wes Maxfield's? I personally find their flirting really fun to write! I might incorporate more of it, if you guys like it.**

**SO REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	3. Original Sin

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:** We are going to learn a lot about Juliet this episode!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Where should we really go, though?" I asked Stefan as we got out of the car. Stefan, Lexi, and I were going to go away for the summer. Well, at first it was just him and Lexi, but Lexi invited me to tag along, and I agreed. What the hell was I going to do around here for the summer? Damon and Elena were going to spend the summer together, Matt had texted me saying that he was going on vacation with Rebekah and that I was welcome to keep staying in the house, and Bonnie was apparently going on vacation as well. _

_But first, we had to get rid of Silas's body, and we had decided to dispose of it in the quarry. On the ride up there, the veil must have gone back up, because Lexi disappeared, so now it was just Stefan and me._

_Stefan, after his confirmed break up with Elena after she picked Damon._

_And me, a girl hopelessly in love with her best friend that she was going away for the summer with._

_There was a sitcom in there somewhere, I know it._

_"I don't know," Stefan said as he went around the back to the trunk to take the bag with Silas's body out. "Go where the wind takes us, I guess?"_

_I just gave him a look. "How horribly cliche, Montague."_

_"I try my best, Capulet," He responded as he opened the trunk._

_I kept my eyes trained on him as he did so, but stopped him before he could grab Silas's body. Might as well ask him now, so things aren't weird later. "How are you __doing?"_

_He froze __for a second, before slowly turning his head towards me. "Fine. Why wouldn't I be?"_

_I gave him a sad smile. "Oh come on," I said, leaning on the side of the trunk. "You did just overhear your ex-girlfriend's passionate speech about how much she loved your brother. That's gotta cut deep."_

_"Wow, thanks for the reminder, Capulet," He said as he leaned on the car next to me, and we were silent for a couple seconds. _

_"I'm not happy about it," He finally spoke up. "But I'm not not happy for Damon."_

_I smiled gently, and leaned my head on his shoulder. "You'll always be the better brother in my mind, Montague."_

_"And you'll always be my favourite Gilbert," Stefan said, wrapping his arm around me and pressing me into his side more. "But don't tell Jeremy, I don't want him to get jealous."_

_We both shared a laugh as I felt my feelings for Stefan start to surface. I loved this guy. Like, really loved him. But my love struck mind is somehow thinking that telling him this right after my sister broke his heart was a good idea._

_"Stefan, I have to tell you something," I suddenly blurted. Shoot! Too late to take the words back._

_"What is it?" Stefan asked as he turned his head in my direction._

_"Uh...um..." I stammered. "You know what? I don't remember. If I remember it later, I'll tell you."_

_Stefan nodded, and he turned around to pick up Silas's body bag._

_Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! Did I actually just almost do that? I was such an idiot!_

_My mental assault on myself was suddenly stopped by Stefan's silence as he dropped the bag on the ground._

_"What's wrong?" I asked as he leaned over the bag, rifling through it. He wasn't answering me, so I walked over to see what the big fuss was._

_And where Silas's body was supposed to be, was just stone. A LOT of broken stone._

_I looked over at Stefan in confusion, and he was looking at me the same way. Simultaneously, we both turned back to the bag and began shaking it, seeing if it was all stone._

_"Don't bother," Elena's voice called out. "I'm not there."_

_Stefan and I both immediately spun around and stood up, Stefan pushing me behind him slightly so that he was standing in front of me._

_"Silas," He breathed._

_Silas smiled at us as he looked directly at me and said, "Wake up, JJ. Wake up." _

_Wake up? What the hell..._

* * *

"Up and at 'em, JJ!"

My eyelids flew open as I launched myself forward, taking deep breaths as I escaped my dream world. I looked over to the person that had rudely awakened me, and saw Elena sitting next to me on my bed. Well, the guest room in the boarding house's bed.

"Elena? What are you doing in here? And why did you call me JJ?" I asked her. She looked like Elena, but somehow...didn't feel like her.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Wrong doppelganger, JJ."

"What?" I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Elena, just get out."

Elena just looked at me in confusion when it seemed to hit her. "Right. I forgot about your whole coma, no memory, mess."

I narrowed my eyes at her. Her hair was big and wavy...the way she was acting...intruding in my space...

"Are you...Kathy?" I asked.

Elena rolled her eyes again before she said, "You're seriously starting to annoy me with your memory thing, but you're cool, so no, not Kathy." She smirked at me. "Katherine."

"You're the doppelganger, aren't you?" I questioned, then gestured for her to get off of my bed.

"And you're still stating the obvious," Katherine said as she slid off. "Glad to know that's still the same."

"Okay...Katherine," I said. "What do you want? But more importantly, what are you doing in my room?"

"I had a dream about Stefan," She said, and I immediately wanted to blurt that I did too, but I was pretty sure we had two different dreams, so I kept my mouth shut. "And I needed to tell somebody."

"Why couldn't you have told Elena or Damon? Or your friends?"

"Because you're the closest thing I've got," She answered.

"To what?" I asked.

Katherine looked a bit uncomfortable, before she quickly changed the subject. "Just, get up. Get ready. Today is that day that we save Stefan, JJ." With that, she spun on her heel and began walking out the door.

"Hey! What do you mean? And what the hell is a 'JJ'?"

* * *

After Katherine had rudely woken me up, I took a fast shower and changed into a flower printed dress with a cardigan and small boots, before quickly making myself a coffee. If I had to deal with craziness in the morning, I couldnt do it without coffee.

According to Elena, she and Katherine had had the same dream about Stefan the night before, and that was really our only lead in finding him, so we were gonna go with it.

"So, I found nine bars off of Route Twenty-Nine," Damon told us as I walked back into the living room with my cup of coffee. "And none of them are called Jo's."

"I had a feeling that something was wrong with Stefan all summer, and I ignored it," Elena said, shaking her head.

"Kind of like you basically ignored your sister, who was in a coma all summer," Katherine piped up, walking into the room, a bag on her arm. "Hell, even I went to go see her."

Elena and I very got uncomfortable, so I changed the subject as fast as I could. "Don't you guys think that it is a little crazy that you and Katherine both had the same dream on the same night? And our only lead is said dream. Which could just be a stupid dream."

"It isn't just a little crazy," Damon agreed with me. "It's a lot crazy." He quickly looked over to Elena who was giving him a look. "But I'm open minded."

I just rolled my eyes at that. Damon and Elena were both so whipped, it was really hard to tell who was doing the whipping the most.

"Anyways," Katherine said. "I call shotgun."

Elena, Damon, and I all looked over at her. Elena and Damon, in confusion, but me, I was just grateful for the distraction.

"What?" She asked. "I get carsick in the backseat."

Katherine stepped down and walked into the living room more. "A charming human side effect that you stuck me with," Katherine said, throwing Elena an accusatory look.

"Please tell me that she's not coming," Elena hissed to Damon.

"Trust me, I have no interest in Katherine's well being, but-for some reason-Silas wants her, real bad. And if Silas wants her, then I want her more," He explained.

I found myself nodding in approval at Damon's decision. "That makes sense."

Elena looked over at me with a bewildered look. "What?"

I just shrugged. "Leverage. The harder we make it for him to get his hands on Katherine, the more he'll come out. He seems like the sort of person that would send people out to do his bidding, and Damon said that he compelled the town square to look for Katherine. But you know the saying," I spoke, taking a final sip of my coffee before stepping the cup on a table. "'If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.'"

"And that's how you're justifying keeping someone who's tried to kill us and our friends and family around?" Elena asked.

I was ready for this one, though. "Well, Miss Elena, if I can recall correctly-"

"You can't recall anything," Elena pointed out.

"But my diary sure can," I threw back at her, before going back to my point. "Damon's tried to kill you, and our family members too. But you still keep him around."

And that was pretty much the worst thing to say. While Katherine was giving me a look of approval, Damon and Elena just stared at me for a second before awkwardly turning away.

"Can't we just stash her in the cellar?" Elena asked Damon, trying to clear the awkward atmosphere I had just created. What? I liked to be blunt, okay? "Or maybe a deep, dark well, with a pair of water wings?"

"Do you honestly think that I wanna take a road trip with you?" Katherine growled. "America's most boring, self-righteous vampire?" Elena rolled her eyes as Katherine continued. "Just remember, Damon wouldn't have to play bodyguard if you hadn't shoved that Cure down my throat."

"Wait, Katherine took the Cure?" I asked. I remembered reading about it in my diary. We had spent so long and done so much to get Elena that stupid Cure, and she used it on Katherine? Of all people?

"Missing stuff tends to happen when you're comatose, Starshine," Katherine informed me. She stood up, and walked over to the piano bench. "Though, I will admit, I do take pride in knowing that you wasted your one shot at human life on me." She gave Elena a wide grin as her doppelganger scoffed.

"Okay, you guys can battle it out," I spoke up, gesturing at the two look alikes. "While I will go and do something productive. Like finding my best friend." And with that, I grabbed Damon's keys and was out the door.

* * *

I didn't actually leave without them, I just sat in the backseat and waited for them to settle if Katherine was coming or not, and when Damon and Elena came out, Elena's carbon copy following them, I got my answer.

So here we were, maybe a couple hours later in Damon's car as we drove down the highway. Katherine joined me in the backseat, but I tried to ignore her by sticking earbuds in my ears and blasting Katy Perry.

Damon, Katherine, and Elena all started discussing something, but I wasn't listening to them. I was listening to E.T. as I thought about my own dream with Stefan.

It was very clear that it was not just a dream. It was too strong to be one, like the one that I had back at Whitmore. Also, Silas was there, and Stefan and I were supposed to be going off for a vacation, which was what the last part of my most recent diary had stated.

Maybe he was trying to reach me, in a different way than he was Elena and Katherine. But why would he call out for Katherine? According to my diaries, they all hated her. Except for me, sometimes. I would sometimes show her sympathy. Though even pre-coma me didn't even understand why.

Katherine tapped my shoulder, and I took out one headphone. "What?"

"JJ, do you think that maybe Stefan's been trying to reach out to Elena all summer, but because she was too busy with Damon he reached out to me?" She asked.

I looked between Katherine and Elena, but just shook my head. "I'm not the creepy doppelganger that had a weird dream, so please leave me out of this." I was just supposed to be the coma person!

* * *

After another hour of driving (and me kicking at myself for drinking that coffee because a) I could have slept some more and b) I really had to pee), we pulled up to a bar. Damon, Elena, and I all quietly got out of the car, as Katherine was passed out in the seat next to me.

"Are we really just gonna leave her in the car?" Elena asked us.

"The only time she shuts up is when she's sleeping. I don't want to be the one to disturb our peace and quiet," Damon answered.

I pointed towards him. "You, my friend, can be a smart man sometimes."

Elena stopped in her tracks, and I bumped into her because I wasn't looking where I was going. But Damon caught me before I could fall and maybe launch myself into another coma.

Elena looked a bit uncertain, and that's probably why she stopped walking. "I thought you said this was the one," Damon said as he righted me and made sure I was okay.

"It is. It looked exactly like it did in the dream," She answered. "Isn't it a little..freaky?"

"Does it really matter?" I asked Elena. "After three months of starvation and drowning over and over again, Stefan could actually be in there. And we could actually help him. So just stop it with the self doubt and just focus on the task at hand." With that, I pushed past her and opened the door of the bar, Elena and Damon on my heels.

We walked in, but all we saw was an empty bar, with a white-blonde haired woman with a bandage on her neck standing behind the bar.

I huffed in defeat. So I sacrificed my sleep for this?

"Can I get you something?" She asked us.

"Yeah, sure," Damon answered as he walked over to the bar, leaning over it. I went and stood next to him as he smiled at the woman and asked, "Why don't you tell me what happened to your neck, Jo?"

By the way his pupils were dilating as he asked Jo the question, I could tell that he was using his vampire power thingy...compulsion, I think it was called?

"Uh...some sicko attacked me. Bit me. Told me to run, so I did, and when I turned around, he was on fire," She answered.

"The sun must have come up," Elena whispered to us. "He doesn't have his Daylight ring."

"And then what happened?" Damon pressed.

"Some woman shoved him into a truck. Drove away."

"And did you know this woman?"

"No. Uh, she was driving a Cam Peterson's truck? He lives about ten miles down that dirt road out back," Jo informed us as she poured Damon a couple of shots. "You look like you could use one of these," She said, passing one to him.

Elena and I exchanged looks of confusion. Stefan couldn't have been gone. Kidnapping sounded insane!

"Hmm," Damon murmured, taking the small glass in his hand. "I could. Thank you." He quickly downed the shot, but just as quickly it went down, it came back up. He was violently coughing, just like Caroline the day she drank Megan's protein water.

That was filled with vervain.

Damon slapped his hand on the table, hard. "Vervain," He managed to choke out. Aha! So I was right!

"What did you do?" Elena demanded.

"I told her to pour him a drink," A thick accented female said as she walked out of the shadows. "Or I'd kill her."

The woman quickly pulled out a gun before training it on Elena. Damon quickly moved to stand in front of the two of us. "Who the hell are you?" He questioned as he struggled to regain his regular breathing after the vervain poisoned him.

Before the woman had a chance to answer, Katherine walked into the bar, seemingly a little pissed that we left her in the car until that worry went down the drain as she saw the woman holding a gun. The woman looked between Katherine and Elena. "Which one of you is Katherine Pierce?"

Without a seconds hesitation, Katherine pointed at Elena and said, "She is!"

The woman just smiled. "Katherine is a compulsive liar." She looked back to Elena and put the gun back on her. "But I need her alive."

Suddenly, Elena pounced on the woman, holding her down as she screamed, "Katherine, run!"

Again, without hesitation, Katherine spun around and ran in the other direction.

Why didn't I run with her?

Being just a human, I threw myself in front of the bar and away from the scary woman with the gun as she and Elena faced off. The woman quickly overpowered Elena (why does that not surprise me?) and threw her against a wall before she dashed out of the bar.

"Jules, are you okay?" Elena groaned as I peeked my head over the bar.

"Never better," I answered as I pulled myself up.

"Wonderful," Damon muttered as he helped Elena off of the ground. "Now I've got a vampire bounty hunter to deal with. Let me guess; Euro-bitch was not a part of the dream?"

"I've never seen her before," Elena confessed.

"Well, whoever she is, she wants Katherine, which means that she's probably Silas's spy," Damon guessed.

"I'll go chase after her," Elena suggested. "You guys go save Stefan." She turned around to run, but Damon grabbed her arm before she had the chance.

"Wait, what? No! She almost killed you!" Damon protested.

"We don't have time for detour," Elena insisted. "Stefan's hurt. Just find him." She moved to run again, but Damon kept his grip on her arm.

"Wait, no! Stop!" She finally turned around to face him. "Any sign of trouble, you let her go, do you understand? I don't care how much Silas wants Katherine, she's not worth a hair on your head."

Aww. That was actually kinda sorta sweet. But I did not have time for kinda sorta sweet Damon and Elena-ness.

I could feel another name there.

* * *

After Elena and Damon shared a quick kiss, the two of us made our way back to the car, where the air was, in a word, tight.

I actually felt like I couldn't breathe. That was how high the tension was. When we stopped in front of the cabin, I quickly got out and ran to Damon's side as he got out of the car.

"What I said this morning was totally uncalled for and I'm sorry and as long as you make Elena happy I'm cool with it," I quickly said, before taking in a deep breath. There was one thing to get off of my chest.

Damon smiles slightly. "It's okay. I know how easy it is for Elena to push your buttons. Especially after you got hurt."

That was something that I actually didn't go over that much in my diary. I vaguely mentioned it but that was it. All I know was that Matt was the one to take care of me. Good old Matty boy.

"So we're cool?" I asked as we turned around to approach the cabin.

"We're cool," He said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "You're my girlfriend's sister. I couldn't hate you."

"Who said anything about hate?" I asked, in a fake offended tone.

"Whatever," Damon said as we got to the door. We stood outside it for a minute before he turned to me, "Any sign of danger and you're out of here, got it?"

I didn't want to be bossed around, but I also didn't want to be vampire chow. So I just nodded at Damon's request, and he opened the door.

We carefully walked in, and Damon stepped in front of me as we did so. As Damon surveyed the area, my eyes fell on him.

On Stefan.

The real Stefan.

My heart swelled as I saw him sitting in a chair, all tied up with some sort of plant. There was a weird ring of flowers around him, but I ignored everything as I tapped Damon's arm, getting his attention.

"Stefan?" Damon whispered when he looked over. "You couldn't call, brother?" He asked as we walked towards him.

Stefan began struggling against the rope-things as we got to him. "Nice to see you too, Damon." Stefan's eyes traveled back at me. "Capulet! Are you-"

"I'm fine. I'll explain everything later, right now we have to get you out of here," I whispered as I hid my giddiness. He called me Capulet!

"What the hell is going on here?" Damon asked his brother.

"Well," Stefan started. "Silas's ex-girlfriend decided to come back from the Other Side," He went on as Damon began tugging at his restraints.

"Qetsi-whatever?" Damon asked as he pulled at the rope.

"It's Qetsiyah," Another feminine voice said, and I quickly spun around to see a gorgeous young woman holding a flower. She walked towards us, but past me as she got to Stefan. "Do you see why I want to change it?"

She kept walking until she got to the fireplace. "You won't be able to break those vines," She let Damon know. "The spell won't release him until I get what I want."

Damon stood up. "Well, I guess the rumours are true. You are a ray of sunshine."

Qetsiyah stood up, a bowl in her hands. "I'm going to link Stefan to Silas. Casting a spell on his doppelganger will neutralize Silas's mental powers. Once he's weakened, I will force him to take the Cure."

"Well, that's a great idea," Damon said sarcastically. "Force the Cure down his throat. The Cure's gone! Done. It's ingested."

"Katherine, you mean?" Qetsiyah clarified. "I'm aware of her condition. She was supposed to be with you."

"Wait, Katherine took the Cure?" Stefan asked.

I nodded. "Apparently, you miss three months in this stupid town and it's like you missed seven years."

"We have a lot to catch up on, Stefan," Damon supplied, probably lot better than I did. He looked back at Qetsiyah. "What do you mean, 'supposed to be with' me?" He asked, and Qetsiyah didn't respond. That's when it hit him. "Did you plant those dreams? Was it some kind of witch party trick?"

"Where is she?" Qetsiyah went on.

"We...ran into a little snag."

"Then I'll get started without her," Qetsiyah informed us. She began waving her hand over the bowl she was holding, while chanting some sort of spell that sort of made me feel all tingly. What was up with that?

"Okay, well, thanks for the hospitality, but we should really get going if we want to beat traffic," Damon said, patting his brother on the shoulder.

"Yep. Yep, he's right," Stefan supported.

"Also, I wanted to go to McDonalds, and I think they're about to get rushy, and I don't feel like waiting," I added.

Qetsiyah ignored Stefan and Damon, and looked over to me, as if she just realized that I was standing in the room. "Eumelia Christos. I was wondering when I'd get to meet you."

"What?" I asked her. What was she talking about?

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, you are going by Juliet Gilbert now."

"How do you know my name?" I demanded. This woman seems to know more about me than I do!

"Because I knew your ancestors," Qetsiyah answered. "They are the ones that helped me create the Immortality spell."

"Wait, I thought it was Silas that created the spell," I stated. I had a lot of time when I first got to the boarding house; I went to Jeremy and did some research. I also still knew that I was adopted, but I never really did any research about my birth family. Maybe Qetsiyah knew something useful.

Qetsiyah growled. "No. The asshole tried to pawn it off of me."

"Then how could my family have helped create the spell?" I was still so lost.

"By their blood, of course," She answered, and my jaw dropped. "The blood of one of the most powerful Travelers in existence was a must have to give the spell a little boost. You and your family are different kinds of Travelers."

"A what now?" I repeated. "A Traveler?"

Qetsiyah looked over to Damon. "How do you deal with it? She knows nothing!"

"What are you saying?" Damon asked. "That Jules is a Traveler?"

"You know what? Find answers on your own, I'm wasting my time," Qetsiyah said, and held out her hand towards me. "Give me your wrist."

I instantly brought my hands to my chest. "Why? What do you want with me?"

"I need your blood to perform the spell," She explained. "It'll give the spell more power and therefore neutralize Silas even more."

"That is not going to happen," Damon defended, moving to stand in front of me.

"Probably don't want to get on my bad side," Qetsiyah threatened.

"You realize that you're not the only one with a bad side, right?" Damon growled.

Qetsiyah gave Damon a look. "Without Silas's mental powers, he is an immortal nobody. We can defeat him. Isn't that what you want?"

Damon was silent after that, so I spoke up. "I'll do it."

"What?" Damon's head swivled toward me. "Jules, you can't-"

"Yes, I can, Damon!" I protested. "Look, we're wasting time. The more time we give Silas is more time that he'll get more powerful." I looked from my wrist, then to Qetsiyah. "If I give you my blood, you will have to explain more about me being a Traveler."

Qetsiyah hesitated for a second before nodding, and she held out her hand again.

"Don't do it," Stefan warned "Don't do it, Jules. She could take all your blood."

"Oh, relax," The witch said. "I only need a little bit."

"It's okay, Stefan," I said, not once taking my eyes off of Qetsiyah. She grabbed a small knife on the table, before gesturing for me to give her my wrist again.

"I'm a big girl," I slowly put my wrist in Qetsiyah's hand, my palm face down. "I can make my own decisions."

"And very smart ones," Qetsiyah said as she flipped my wrist over so that my palm was facing up. She made a quick but small cut on my wrist, and I had to repress my scream as she tilted my wrist towards her bowl so that my blood poured into it. I grit my teeth at the pain, and it seemed like forever that Qetsiyah was pouring my blood, and at first I thought that she really is going to take all of my blood when she let go of my hand. I immediately bring my wrist back to me, but the sudden movement makes me dizzy, and I almost go crashing to the ground, but Damon caught me before I could.

"I thought you said you only needed a little?" He asked as he helped me up.

Qetsiyah shrugged. "That was a little. She's probably just not used to having blood drained from her."

I started seeing black spots, and I tried shaking my head to escape the dizziness.

But that was when the same headache I got at the Whitmore dorm came back, and I screamed as the violent assault on my mind began. Like before, it came with images.

Silas was there...or was it Stefan? He was laying down on the couch in the Salvatore living room, and he was all gray and gross looking, black veins crawling all over his body. Was he dead? That wasn't possible. Was it?

The flashes and the pain stopped almost as quickly as they came, and I took very deep breaths in as my body struggled to regain control.

I felt a hand rubbing at my back. "What did you do to her?" Damon's voice said.

"I didn't do anything," I faintly heard Qetsiyah. "I just took her blood."

I didn't hear much of anything else after as my eyes fell shut and I was sucked into black.

* * *

_Blood was seeping out of the wound in my stomach faster by the second. I was in such mind numbing pain that I almost didn't feel anything. Key word being, almost._

_I still couldn't believe she actually did it. I mean, I probably shouldn't have antagonized her, but I really didn't think that she'd actually do it._

_But I reminded myself that she had no humanity. She didn't feel anything. She wasn't my sister anymore. And I couldn't trust her._

_I tried to keep my whimpers quiet, but Damon could obviously hear them as he sped to Matt's house. "I'm sorry Jules. I promise we're almost there."_

_There was too much blood in my throat for me to answer. I knew Damon wasn't taking me to the hospital because he could heal me himself, but I somehow felt that I might have been safer in a hospital._

_Damon didn't even bother to knock; he just kicked the door open. Matt was in the hallway in seconds to see what was going on, and his eyes widened when he saw Damon carrying me, all bloody and dying and with a whole in my stomach where Elena had stabbed me. With a tree branch._

_"Don't ask questions," Damon told Matt as he walked inside with me. "Just get a towel and a first aid kit."_

_Matt quickly did as Damon demanded as Damon took me into the living room. Matt threw the towel over the couch as Damon gently put me down on it. I winced at the pain of being put down. My whole body felt like it was made of glass._

_Damon immediately opened the first aid kit and began pawing through it, looking for something. Matt came over and crouched down next to me, and grabbed my hand. _

_He looked back over at Damon. "I don't think this can be fixed with some disinfectant and a bandage."_

_"Shut up, Donovan," Damon said as he pulled out apparently what he was looking for. It was a syringe. I was about to ask what he was going to do with it when he stuck the needle directly into his chest. He grimaced as he took some blood out of himself._

_"What are you doing with that?" Matt asked Damon as Damon took the needle out of the chest._

_Damon shoved Matt out of the way as he came over and leaned right above me. "Saving her life."_

_Without another word, he plunged the needle directly into my heart, and my chest tightened as he pressed down on the plunger. _

_Damon's blood began coursing through my blood the minute he pressed down. As he took the needle out, I took a deep breath in, my chest beginning to loosen. I looked down to my stomach, and saw the hole beginning to close up. I looked back up at Damon, who was staring at my stomach. "Admiring your girlfriend's handiwork?" I asked sarcastically._

_Damon just shook his head as he put the needle back into the kit. He turned to Matt. "You have to watch her. Extra carefully too, since I put the blood directly into her heart. She should get better, but if she doesn't, call me and we'll do it again."_

_With a final glance at me, Damon stood up, and left the house. Matt turned back to me, and pushed my hair back. "What happened, Jules?"_

_The blood was working it's magic, because I felt well enough to answer him. "Elena. I was upset that she had burned down the house with Jeremy inside, and I didn't get to say goodbye. Then she began taunting me, and then I began taunting her, and then she threatened to stab me with a branch. I didn't actually think she'd do it."_

_Matt got up from his spot beside me and left the room, but he quickly came back, a blanket in his hands. He threw it over me as he said, "Just forget it. Besides, you heard Damon. You're going to be fine."_

_"But I can't forget it, Matty," I said, tears forming in my eyes. "She burned down our house, with our baby brother's body inside. She tried to kill me. I can't trust her, not anymore. Especially not with my life."_

_Matt nodded, listening to me. Then, he said, "Do you want soup?"_

_I smiled at him. "You know which kind?"_

_"Well, you're hurt, so you want tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches," He responded with a smile._

_"You should get a prize," I suggested._

_"Nah, I just know my best friend," He said, and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll be right back."_

_I nodded, and leaned my head back on the couch as he left the room. I felt myself being filled with warmth, mostly because of Damon's blood coursing through my veins __and healing me, but also because, Matt was someone that truly cared about me._

_Someone that I could trust._

_Maybe even with my life, should the opportunity arise._

* * *

I woke up, thought not as violently this time. I looked around myself, and saw that I was no longer in Qetsiyah's cabin, but I was back in my bed at the boarding house. Wait, could today have possibly been a dream?

But a quick look down at my bandaged wrist made me remember that Qetsiyah had taken my blood. And then all that Traveler talk came back to me. And that's when I realized something.

She didn't tell me anything about it.

I felt cheated.

* * *

**TBC...**

**JULES IS A TRAVELER, WHAT?**

**Yup. You read right.**

**All this stuff is going to come to play, I promise.**

**I'm sorry it ended kind of weakly. I'm going to a party tonight and I wanted this chapter done today.**

**Also, we are getting some Klaus flashbacks next episode! Who's excited for that?**

**Speaking of Klaus, what do you guys think of me maybe doing an AU where Jules goes to New Orleans with Klaus? She still wouldn't have memories, so it'd be like Klaus is trying to make her fall in love with him again.**

**NOT TO SAY THAT SHE LOVES HIM NOW. She does, it's just a different kind of love. But in the NOLA AU, it wouldn't be.**

**So let me know what you think!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	4. For Whom The Bell Tolls

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **So you guys know what happens in 5x18 Resident Evil, right? Well, Stefan and Elena are still going to have the visions, but I'm going to make a whole AU chapter of human Jules and human Stefan. I've started it, and it's actually kind of good.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

At least Stefan and I had another thing in common.

We both had amnesia.

Yup. Apparently when Qetsiyah did her witchy voodoo, she stripped Stefan's mind of all his memories. And when I said all, I did mean _all._ Ever since he was born. And I felt bad for him. _I_ felt bad for _him._ Was pitying a guy really the way to his heart?

Whatever. I made my way to the library here, and it was surprisingly big, for such a small town.

Qetsiyah said she'd tell me about being a Traveler, but that didn't work out. And she did say to find answers on my own. So that was what I've been trying to do. Not surprisingly, there aren't many books on Travelers. I've emailed and texted Bonnie asking her if she knew anything about Travelers (since she is our resident witch, apparently. All the weird things that happened when we were kids suddenly makes so much more sense) but she hasn't been replying.

Anyways, I had found a couple books with Travelers mentioned in them, but they were pretty small sections. All that I found out is that Travelers are like witches, but they're really just like a subtopic of them. What I mean by that is that they can use magic, but it was different than traditional magic. What it basically meant is that Travelers couldn't call on nature for magic, which was why Travelers hold grudges against all witches who _can_.

Also, some of these supposed 'spells' were really ridiculous. There was a brain linking spell (though I had seen this in person; it's what Qetsiyah did to Stefan), a Heart-Desiccation spell (it's used to stop one's heart), and a pain infliction spell. I tried reading out the pain infliction spell, "Oshalana," But nothing happened. I guess I would have to channel my energy and such to get it to work.

But I think my favourite spell was the Passanger Spell. Basically, it made Travelers capable of transferring themselves into the bodies of other people, the person in the host body being called a Passenger.

Yeah, when I got into the whole 'spirit possession' thing, I stopped reading. It made my head hurt.

So instead, I looked up Eumelia Christos, my supposed birth name. All I found was that my birth parents died in a house fire, which I did know already, Miranda and Grayson already told me.

And that was when my phone rang. Not taking my eyes off of my laptop screen, I answered it. "Y'ello?"

"First of all, never say that again," Elena said.

I slightly hung my head. "Okay. What do you want?"

"Come over to the Mystic Grill," She suggested. "I'm on my way there now. Stefan and Damon are already there. Where are you?"

"Just at the library," I answered, shutting my laptop down and stuffing it inside my laptop bag. "Doing some research on Travelers."

"Are you really going to listen to what Qetsiyah said?" Elena asked. "She could have been lying."

"I don't know, Lena," I pondered as I left the library and made for my car. "She seemed really desperate for my blood. And if it does have the powers that she said it does, then it could come in handy. If it doesn't, still doesn't hurt to find out what she's so crazy about."

"I guess you're right," She sighed. "Whatever. Just get your butt to the Grill. It's Rememberance Day."

"Remind me what that was?" I asked her as I got into my car.

"You know, I can never tell if you make puns on purpose or if you're just a natural at them."

"I am 'punny'," I said with a smirk, starting my car up.

"Ha ha, I forgot how to laugh. Anyways, it's a day for us to remember the dead," She answered.

"Do my memories count?"

"I think so. Either way, just get over to the Grill in ten minutes."

"On my way. Yeesh, you're bossy."

"Good thing you didn't forget _that_."

* * *

"I feel like this town finds any excuse to drink," I told Elena when I got to the Grill, snatching the shot right out of her hand before tossing it back.

"Which I am finding out," Stefan commented.

I smiled at him. He was still adorable, with his adorable amnesianess. Was I the same way with other people?

"Um, what's your name again?" Stefan asked, and my smile disappeared. I was finally properly reunited with Stefan and he didn't remember my name. Perfect.

"It's Juliet," I told him, my smile plastered on my face. "But apparently, it's actually Eumelia. Just stick with Juliet, though."

"Are you always this confusing?" Stefan asked.

I said "No" at the same time as Elena and Damon said, "Yes."

Wow. Way to stick up for your friend, guys.

Well, this seemed like a good time to split. Why did I even come, again? "Well, if you'll excuse me, I actually have a few errands to run."

"Wait!" Elena stopped me in my tracks. "Can't you at least stay for another drink?"

"Actually, I'm not really supposed to be drinking. Don't tell Doctor Cameron though, she'll kick my ass." I turned around, and wave goodbye at them, and left the Grill.

But not without tapping the bell that was beside the entrance.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" I called into the house as I stepped inside. I saw Matt's car in the driveway, so I expected him to be home. I walked into the house, and frowned when I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye.

"Matt, I swear to God, if you're hiding behind a door and waiting to scare me, I will not hesitate to kick you right where it hurts," I threatened as I inched towards where I saw something move.

As I got closer, I heard a sort of clicking noise, and frowned when I identified the object to be a camera. Why was there a camera in the corner of the hallway?

"Jules?"

I yelped, and spun on my heels to see Matt standing behind me. "Matty! What's with the cameras? Are we on the next season of Big Brother?"

"That's not it, Jules," Matt said, grabbing my elbow and leading me into the living room.

"The Kardashians? Because let me tell you, I have a few choice words for Kendall..."

"Jules! This is serious," Matt said as he sat us down on the couch.

"Whoa," I breathed. "What's up, Matty? Is something wrong?"

"I think there is," He explained. "I just finished talking to Jeremy about it. This Czech girl I met while I was with Rebekah over the summer put something in my head, and I don't think it went away."

"What do you mean, put something?" I repeated. "Like, she sliced open your head?"

"No, I mean she grabbed the sides of my head, and muttered something. And ever since then, sometimes I'd wake up in the randomest places, with no memory of what happened. The other night, I woke up covered in mud. With a knife beside me."

"Well, you couldn't have been injured," I pointed out. "You'd be bleeding." And that was when I got an idea. "Hey! I have an idea."

"What?" Matt asked eagerly.

"Okay, so I've recently found out that I'm a Traveler, which is a type of witch-"

"Wait, you're a witch?" Matt asked, all confused.

"Yeah, apparently so. Anyways, maybe what she did was magical, and maybe I can reverse it," I suggested.

"You really think you can figure out what's wrong with me?" Matt asked uncertainly.

"Wow, Matt. It's nice to know how much trust you have in me, considering all the trust I put in _you_."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry. Just, try something. I'm desperate."

"Okay," I said. Wait, what was I supposed to do? I didn't even know what was wrong with him! Well, Matt _did_ say that the Czech woman put it in his head, so maybe I should do something with his head. I put my hand on either side of his head, and closed my eyes as I mentally pictured shoving a faceless body out of Matt's head.

"Is it working?" I asked, my eyes still closed.

"I don't know," Matt answered. "Am I supposed to feel something?"

I huffed, taking my hands down from his head and opening my eyes. "I don't know. But I could do some research on it, if you want."

"Thanks. Man, I wish Bonnie was back," Matt commented. "She'd probably know."

"I tried emailing and texting her about this whole Traveler nonsense and I haven't gotten a reply back," I told him. "Has she been answering you?"

He shook his head. "She just replied twice. To my three hundred emails."

"I wonder why she's not back yet," I said as I leaned my head on Matt's shoulder. "I hope she's okay."

* * *

After Matt and I had a quick lunch, I decided to take a walk around Mystic Falls. I hadn't actually explored the place, and this might be my best chance at getting some memories back.

But so far, nothing had happened. I had been walking for about an hour and nothing had happened. Maybe it was because I was too in town. Maybe I should move out into the forest.

I was listening to Demi Lovato as I walk, and I was too focused on the music, rather than where I'm walking. When I finally snapped back into attention, I realized that I was standing in front of a big ass mansion. It was giving me weird vibes, like I knew the place. Knew it pretty well, actually.

So that's what made my feet move forward, and I walked up the steps to the door of the mansion. I tried the doorknob, but it was locked. So I began looking around for a key, and found one under the matt. I put the key inside the lock, and unlocked it, before letting myself inside.

And yeah, I guess it could have been perceived as trespassing, but it looked like the place had been abandoned for at least a couple of months.

I felt chills running down my back as I walked into the house, and I completely fawned over the giant stairwell that was inside. I was a huge sucker for this kind of stuff.

As I walked further into the house, I felt some tugging at the back of my head. I ran my hand along the railing as I walked up the stairs, dreaming of all the dancing and action that must have taken place here.

I went up the last step and came across a couple hallways. Damn, this place was huge. I decided to go left as I entered the first bedroom on the left. And there was nothing here. No evidence that a human (or nonhuman) being has been living here.

But there _was_ a letter on the beside table.

I assumed it was just left behind, but closer inspection revealed the envelope to say _Juliet Gilbert _in elegant handwriting. Intrigued, I picked it up before leaving the room, shutting the door behind me. Then, as I opened the envelope, I made my way back down the stairs, and sat down on the last one as I pulled the letter out.

_My Dearest Juliet,_

_ In case I don't see you before I leave, I wanted to tell you that I will miss you dearly. And the other paper inside this envelope, is the deed to this mansion, which I've left in your name. I know, right now you're probably having a fit because I've given you the house, but I cannot think of a better person for my home to go to. Because, after everything that you've done, you _are_ my home, Juliet Gilbert. And I'm hoping that one day you'll join me in my new one. Just someday soon, because you are still a human and I don't want you to be so old that you won't be able to do anything once you've gotten here. Either way, this _isn't_ goodbye, dear Juliet. This is simply farewell, until we meet again. And if you need me, I'm always just a phone call away._

_ So until we meet again._

_ Farewell, my sweet Juliet Gilbert._

_ Forever yours, Klaus._

_ P.S. I do believe that the necklace inside this envelope belongs to you._

After I was done reading the letter, I pulled out the forms he was talking about, and saw it all written up with his signature, and an empty dotted line where I was supposed to sign. Then, I pulled out the necklace. It was pretty simple, just a star locket. When I opened it, I saw a small herb inside. I sniffed it, and quickly identified it as vervain, and then identified the necklace to be the necklace that Stefan had supposedly given me to keep me from compulsion. I must have left it at here at some point.

_ Well, he was right about one thing,_ I thought as I slipped the necklace on.

I was upset that he left me the mansion.

I mean, what was I supposed to do with such a big house? All of my relatives were dead (adoptive _and _biological)and I didn't have that many friends. Maybe that's what I should do. Have a party, make more friends. Human friends.

And being in possession of this house meant that I had another place to live. But I didn't want to stop living with Matt.

Oh well. At least I had this house. And it was incredibly sweet of Klaus to leave it to me. And for him to think that I was his home. And for him to want me to visit him in New Orleans. Hmm. Maybe I should.

Just spitballing ideas, here.

* * *

I decided that that was enough soul searching for one day, and made it to the cemetery in town, where everyone was getting drunk.

Sounds like my kind of party.

When I got there, the first person I ran into was Caroline. "Hey!" I said, leaning over and giving my best friend a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you know me," She said. "I can't pass up an opportunity to drink."

"Nice one," I said, and we both turned around and just walked and talked for a bit before we ran into Stefan.

"Stefan?" Caroline called his name, and he turned around, and surprise surprise, there was a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

"Caroline Forbes," Stefan said. "And Juliet. My best friends."

"Wait, you recognize us?" Caroline asked, gesturing between the two of us.

"Well, I met Juliet earlier, but I've studied pictures of you. You are much hotter in person," He said, raising the bottle to his lips.

I couldn't help the snort that escaped me, and Caroline whacked my on the arm as Stefan said, "I'm sorry. I'm a little drunk."

"No kidding," I said.

"Yeah, I can see that," Caroline added, and she walked a little closer to Stefan. "Are you okay?"

"Well, if by okay you mean heavily spiraling into ripper oblivion, then yes, I'm dandy," He said sarcastically.

"Kegs thing got passed out so I stole these," A voice came from behind us, and I turned around to see Jesse, holding two red cups.

"Hey, it's the girl who wants to sleep with Maxfield," He said, pointing at me, and it was pretty obvious that he was drunk.

I blushed slightly as Caroline and Stefan gave me looks. "It's good to see you again too, Flyer Guy."

Caroline just shook it off as she said to Jesse, "Do you mind just giving us a couple minutes?"

"Yeah," Stefan agreed. "It's probably a good idea, because I can sense from here that you have a paper cut at the bottom of your left hand and I want to rip your entire arm off."

Alarm bells go off as I whipped my head and looked at Stefan in disbelief. "Dude!" I hissed.

Caroline went up to Jesse and compelled him to hide, and she would find him later. He turned and walked off, and Caroline turned back around to face Stefan. "Look. I know that you are hungry but you don't do people, okay? It just doesn't end well."

"What about blood bags?" Stefan asked. "Do you have any blood bags?"

"Yes, in the car. Jules, give me a hand?" She asked, and the second we both turned around, Stefan had dipped.

"We are such idiots!" I exclaimed.

* * *

Caroline and I split up to find Stefan (since he most likely went after Jesse) and I heard muffled screams by the crypt that I had passed. I went running for it, and came to an abrupt stop at the sight of Stefan feeding heavily off of Jesse.

"Stefan!" I shouted after him. "Stefan, stop! Stefan!"

None of my calls were getting his attention. I turned around and shouted for Caroline, but by the time she would get here, it might be too late.

"Oh, what was that spell?!" I exclaimed, balling my hands into fists and banging them against my head. "Osh-oshalana?" I said uncertainly. Nothing happened. I brought my hands down, and shook them free of nerves. "Oshalana," I tried again, but again, nothing happened. I took a deep breath in, then I pointed my right hand leveled to Stefan's head, and took everything I was feeling, from being scared, to frustrated at Stefan, to anger at Stefan for feeding off of Jesse, and poured it all into my one hand as I screamed, "Oshalana!"

That sure did the trick. Stefan gasped in pain, and let Jesse drop to the ground as he unlatched his fangs from his neck. I stepped closer to him as I kept my focus, and he grasped the sides of his head as he screamed in pain.

Caroline walked in, and frowned at the sight of me and Stefan, which broke my concentration. Stefan fell to the ground, and Caroline went for Jesse as I went for Stefan. I grabbed him by the shoulders, and hauled him up. Still holding his shoulders, I spun him around so that he was facing me.

I'll admit it. I flinched when I saw his face. His eyes had black veins crawling under them, and his fangs were stained red with Jesse's blood. I shook it off before saying, "This is not you! I mean, you might not remember, and hell, I don't remember at all! But what I have figured out is that this person," I gestured to the mess that he made of Jesse. "Is not you. You are not this person. You've overcome this person so many times!"

"I have to go," Stefan said suddenly, and pushec my hands off of his shoulders.

"But-" I started, but he cuts me off.

"I have to leave," He said, and before I could protest, he zoomed off.

"Stefan!" I called after him. I look behind me to see if Caroline had Jesse handled, and she nodded at me before I went running after him.

I still felt pretty tingly from using my magic for the first time. I couldn't believe how weird and powerful it felt. And I hadn't had any lessons. Maybe it was a spur of the moment, once in a lifetime thing.

Or maybe Qetsiyah was right, and I was a different kind of Traveler.

And that kind of scared me.

* * *

I eventually make my way to the Salvatore boarding house, where I ran into Damon and Elena. We all walked into the living room, where Stefan was crouched in front of the fire.

"Stefan, there you are," Elena said as we walked in. "We've been looking everywhere for-"

Elena cut herself off when she got a good look at what Stefan's doing. I peeked over her shoulder to see, and Stefan was burning his journals. But why?

"What are you doing there, brother?" Damon asked.

"Oh, you know," He said, tossing in another book. "Just tying up a few odds and ends."

"Sure you want to do that?" His brother asked.

"Well, I know what I don't want," Stefan answered, standing up and turning around to face us. "I don't want to be the person in those journals anymore," He started, glancing back at the burning books. "I don't want to live in this house. I don't want my brother's advice. I don't want to hear how I supported you, Elena." He leaned over, and picked up a duffle bag. "And I definitely don't want to continue this conversation."

"Stefan, wait-" Elena started.

"Don't worry," He waved her off. "I'm not gonna go on a ripper binge. Besides, Caroline said she'd call me every hour to make sure I was okay. And, I actually do trust her."

I wan't going to lie. His words cut me deep. Stefan didn't even look at me as he threw the bag over his shoulder and began walking out.

I couldn't think for a couple of seconds, but then I was moving. I was following him out the door.

"Stefan, wait," I said as soon as I stepped onto the porch. He was already at the bottom of the steps, but he turned around to face me.

"You don't trust me?" I asked him. "I've done nothing to you. Elena and Damon, I get, but why not me? I have done nothing to make you not want to trust me."

"You practically tore apart my mind," He reminded me.

"Yeah, to stop you from feeding off of my friend," I threw back in his face. I took a deep breath in. "Look. If you don't want to trust me, I'll somehow get it. But you should just know, that you have no reason to distrust me." And with that, I pushed past his shoulder and started walking back to Matt's place.

* * *

I opened the door, and shut it behind me as I rubbed my eyes, fighting the fatigue that was starting to overwhelm me. The house was dark and quiet, which was weird, because Matt always left the hall light on because he didn't want us stumbling in the middle of the night, and he was always watching TV at this time of night.

Whatever. All I knew was that I was hungry and that I wanted to go to bed. I peeled off my jacket and began to hang it up in the closet. "What do you want to do for dinner, Matty? I'm thinking Chinese."

He didn't answer, which was weird. "Okay, I am open to pizza," I said as I walked out of the hallway, and when I made it to the living room, the TV was off, the lights are dimmed, but Matt was sitting on the couch. "What, did you forget to pay the electrical bill?" I asked as I put the light up. When I did, I noticed the tears in Matt's eyes.

"Oh my God," I breathed as I ran over and sat next to him on the couch. "What happened? Matt, what's wrong?"

"It's Bonnie," He choked, not looking at me.

"What about Bonnie?" I asked uncertainly.

Matt finally turned his head to face me. "She's-she's _dead_, Jules."

"What?" I gasped. "She's not dead. She can't be dead! You said, you said that she had responded to your emails! She can't do that if she's dead."

"That was Jeremy," Matt explained. "He can see ghosts. Bonnie's been communicating with us through him all summer. She's dead."

"But she can't be," I sobbed, and I looked down at my wrist, where my friendship bracelet that Bonnie made for me when we were in the first grade sat. I made one for her, and we said that as long as we had those bracelets, we'd be friends forever.

Except forever didn't last as long as I'd hoped.

"Matty, she can't be dead!" I cried, and Matt pulled me into a tight hug as he began to cry too.

We tried comforting each other the best we could, but it wasn't exactly working. Bonnie was our best friend.

And we didn't notice that she was dead all summer long.

I mean, I guess I wouldn't have noticed anyways, but still!

* * *

We had the memorial for Bonnie the next day. We walked all the way into the middle of the woods, and surrounded a small tree stump. I won't lie, my heart sunk a bit over the fact that Stefan wasn't here. I mean, he might not remember Bonnie, but they were still friends.

The people who did attend were Jeremy, Elena, Damon, Caroline, Matt, and me, and we were all trying to support each other.

Jeremy went first, and laid a photograph on the stump. Caroline went second, and placed two black and red pompoms on the stump. She turned around, walked back, and stood beside me, trying not to cry. I knew what the pompoms meant to Caroline and Bonnie. They were both on the cheerleading squad.

Matt went next, and pulled out a whistle that he placed next to Caroline's pompoms. I also knew what the whistle meant. Matt and Bonnie were lifeguards during a summer. Matt came back over and stood next to me. I reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze, which he returned.

Elena went next, and she stumbled a bit as she placed her hand on the tree to keep herself from falling over. She took out a handful of feathers from a small bowl, and let her tears escape her as she let the feathers fall on to the tree stump. I didn't know what the feathers mean, but if it was Elena, it probably meant a lot.

Elena turned around, and went right over to Caroline, wrapping her in a fierce hug as sobs racked her body. After Elena, I went.

My left hand shook as I moved it to my right wrist. I gently tugged off my bracelet, and place it on the tree stump, as sobs began to crawl up my throat.

* * *

_"Julie!" Bonnie's seven year old self giggled, running up to my house. "Look what I have!" _

_ "What?" I asked just as eagerly, coming down my porch as Bonnie's dad began talking to my parents._

_ She held up a kit. "It's a friendship bracelet maker! We should make some!"_

_ And for the next couple of hours, Bonnie and I made each other bracelets. We used each other's favourite colours, and favourite symbols. When we were done, we put them on each other's wrist._

_ "See?" She asked as we put them on. "Now, we'll be best friends forever, as long as we have these bracelets."_

_ "Forever?" I asked uncertainly. At the time I didn't think you could have a friend for that long._

_ Bonnie giggled as she leaned over and grabbed me into a hug. "Forever."_

* * *

I turned around, and went right to Matt, missing what Damon was putting on the stump. I pulled Matt into a hug, and sobbed into his shoulder, wanting so bad to repress the memory. I carefully pulled away from Matt, and moved my hand to grasp his again. I looked over at Caroline, who was extending her other hand. I took it without thinking, squeezing it.

Jeremy leaned over, and grabbed the bell that was on the stump. "We ring this bell, in honour of Bonnie."

Okay, Jeremy needed to stop right now before I just dropped to the ground and cried harder than I already was.

"And in rememberance for her," He continued, before giving the bell a gentle ring. And then, he looked confused. "I don't know what else to say."

He was quiet for a while, before he spoke again. "She says that she's not going anywhere. That she has been here all along. Bonnie, has watched you have the summer of your lives." Jeremy turned specifically to Elena. "She saw you happy. And she knows that you think now you can't have a normal life, that you have to be here for everyone, but you don't. Everyone will find their way. So you are going to repack your things, and you are going to go back to college, and you're gonna live it up." Elena just cried even harder.

Jeremy's gaze turned to Matt. "You didn't do anything wrong, Matt. You know she would have sent you back three hundred emails, if she could." Which just made Matt cry harder, and I leaned into his side to try and comfort him. "She misses you."

Jeremy shifted his gaze from Matt to me. "Juliet. She's watched you all summer long as you fought as hard as you could to rejoin your family and friends. And she knows that you're having a really hard time-maybe even harder than everyone else-but she knows that you're gonna fight it, like you do with everything. You're going to get better. You always find a way to make everything better."

Bonnie's words completely shattered my heart, and tears came flooding down at an even faster rate. I felt weak at the knees, and I had to cling on to Matt to keep myself from actually falling to the ground. But while Bonnie's words broke me, they actually helped make me stronger.

Jeremy turned his head to Caroline. "Caroline. She watched you decorate your dorm like your life depended on it," He conveyed, which actually made Caroline laugh through her tears, but they brought on another wave of them. "And she knows that college isn't everything you expected and that you feel like something's missing, but..." Jeremy cut himself off as his gaze fell behind Caroline. "Tyler."

We all turned around, and saw our other friend, Tyler Lockwood, a white rose in his hand. Caroline sobbed, before running towards him. They fell into a hug, which lasted a couple seconds before Caroline brought Tyler over to our memorial. He placed the rose on the stump with the rest of everyone's pieces for Bonnie, before going back and hugging Caroline.

I looked over and saw Damon's arms wrapped around Elena, Tyler's arms wrapped around Caroline, and I looked at me and Matt hugging each other, when something hit me.

Jeremy hadn't had a hug.

Bonnie was everyone's friend, but she was Jeremy's girlfriend. They shared a bond that none of us could have with her. And he had been sitting all summer with the knowledge that Bonnie was dead, and he couldn't even tell anyone.

Which is why I unwrapped myself from Matt, and made my way over to my little brother before winding my arms around his neck, bringing him in close. "You're so brave, Jer. So brave," I whispered in his ear. After I pulled away, I turned around, and we all stood as we mourned and remembered Bonnie Bennett.

Student.

Witch.

Girlfriend.

Daughter.

_Friend_.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Not so happy with this chapter, I'll admit. Oh well. At least we got to see Jules using her Traveler magic for the first time. Too bad it was on Stefan.**

**Anyways, not much to report, other than the fact that the NOLA AU is now under way! Yeah, we'll just see how this goes lol.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	5. Monster's Ball

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Okay, for the Julie and Stefan AU, with what I'm planning, it's going to be a REALLY LONG CHAPTER, because I want to include all the aspects of their human lives together. That being said, I don't know if you guys would want to read such a long chapter. So there are three things I could do.

1\. Make it all one really long chapter.

2\. Make a separate story document for it.

3\. Make the AU into separate chapters (but it'll be a bit until we get back into proper episodes lol)

I know it's a good deal away but please let me know! I'm making a poll for it, so please vote! It's going to up until the chapter before the AU happens!

PS. If you want, you can recommend me songs that remind you of Juliet and Stefan (I know we haven't explored much of their relationship yet, but when we get into the later chapters you can!)

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Well, we did what Bonnie wanted us to do.

We moved on.

Well, sort of. For a couple days or so, I stayed back in Mystic Falls with Matt (I said it was for me, but it was mainly for him. Also, Tyler had taken up what seemed like permanent residence in our dorm, and I wasn't here for that ), but then I packed my bags and went back to Whitmore, where I threw myself as hard as I could into my studies.

In fact, I had barely even noticed that it was Halloween. That is, until Caroline reminded me. In the rudest way possible.

"You are _going _to that ball, Juliet Gilbert!" Caroline demanded in a harsh whisper. We were sitting in the library, because I was studying, and Caroline finally took a break from Tyler to come and find me.

"Caroline, people that go to costume dances are people in relationships because they coordinate their costumes," I told her. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not in a relationship. I don't want to go to a place by myself surrounded by couples."

"Then don't go by yourself! Ask someone!" She exclaimed, which got her a "Shh" from the librarian.

Caroline gave me a look that said that she wanted to continue the conversation elsewhere, so I packed up my stuff and we walked out of the library.

"Who am I supposed to ask?" I inquired. "Just because I'm a technical witch now, doesn't mean that I can make like Sabrina Spellman and literally _make _myself a date."

"And I'm not asking you to," Caroline said. She suddenly squealed, grabbing on to my arm. "You should ask Stefan!"

That made me stop in my tracks. "What? No way, Caroline!"

"Why not?" She pouted. "He's single, you're single, and you're friends! It wouldn't make it weird."

I thought of him as way more than a friend, Care Bear. "I tried to fry the guy's brain!"

"To get him to stop eating our friend!" She threw back. "And he's already forgiven you for it. Now, will you please ask Stefan?"

I could tell she's not going to drop this, so I groaned. "Ugh, fine! If you leave me alone, I'll ask him."

She clapped. "Yay! Okay, I'll pick your costume."

"What?" I asked her, but she was already scampering off. "Caroline!" I groaned, and balled my hands into fists before crashing them on my forehead.

Time to go ask the amnesic boy that I might be in love with to a dance.

* * *

"So you know that lame, ball, thing, that Whitmore is holding?" I said into the phone. After a half hour of debating with myself (and an hour long conversation with Klaus, who finally convinced me to do it), I called up Stefan.

"Yeah, Caroline's been trying to get me to go to it," He answered.

"So, I was thinking. I'm an amnesic, you're an amnesic." Wow, why am I so bad at this?

"And your point is?"

"Well, we were best friends, apparently. Neither of us can remember anything about each other. So, this might be a good opportunity to maybe get to know each other again, especially if we trusted each other so much."

"So you're saying you want me to be your date?" He asked.

I flushed slightly pink, grateful that he couldn't see me. "I'm saying that I don't want to go alone, especially when lots of other couples are gonna be there. So if you want to call yourself my date, that's fine. Just come with me."

"Hmm," Stefan thought. "Will there be dancing?"

"It's a dance," I said. "I think dancing is part of the package."

"Will _we_ have to dance?"

"If you don't want to, then we won't. I'm only going to get Caroline off of my back," I told him.

"But do _you_ want to dance?"

I bit my lip a little, debating my answer. "I like to dance," I said softly.

"Then we'll dance. What time should I be there?"

A huge smile crossed my face. "Um, 7:00 good for you?"

"It's perfect for me. I'll see you at 7:00."

Stefan hung up, and my smile turned into a full on grin. Stefan was my date! Stefan was my date! Stefan was my date!

Now it was time to see what Caroline was planning.

* * *

I couldn't conceal my laughs as I walked into the Whitmore house. Caroline had a sense of humour, and I was glad that she did.

I quickly found Stefan, and it already looked like he was slightly buzzed. "Who are you supposed to be?" I asked. He did not look like he was wearing a costume.

"Oh," He said, looking down at his costume. "I'm James Dean." His eyes scanned my outfit. "And you are?"

I blushed slightly as I looked down at my perfect ringlets and olden timey (older than the Victorian era) dress. "I'm Juliet Capulet. Who else was I gonna be?"

"Right," He said, nodding his head. "Juliet Gilbert."

"You know, we apparently used to have this joke where you called me Capulet, and I would call you Montague or Romeo."

Stefan looked confused. "Why?"

I shrugged. "It has to do with the very first time that we met."

"You'll have to tell me about it some day," He said, and extended his hand. "But first, we must dance."

I laughed as Stefan lead me over to the dance floor. For an amnesic, he had very good dancing skills.

I had to go to the bathroom, so Stefan told me that he would be waiting for me at the bar. I quickly went and did my business (NOT an easy thing in this dress) and by the time I came back, I couldn't find Stefan. Like, _anywhere_.

So I wandered over to the bar, where Stefan told me he would meet me. "Give me anything you got." I slumped on the counter.

"Looks like someone's got a case of the blues," I heard beside me, and I spun my head around to see Qetsiyah. "Why is that?"

"You," was all I could say at first.

"Yes, me," She said. "Qetsiyah. But call me Tessa."

"I'd rather call you the girl that fried my friend's brain and took away his memories," I spat out.

She turned her head to the side. "Sorry about that. But look on the bright side!"

"What bright side?" I asked as the bartender gave me my drink.

Tessa thought about it. "There really isn't one, is there?"

I tossed the drink back, before giving it back to the bartender to refill. "Not that I know of."

It was silent for a few seconds until I blurted out, "What's so special about my blood?"

"There it is," Tessa said as she took a sip of her own drink.

I ignored her as I went on. "Why did you use my family's blood for the Immortality spell? Did you kill them?"

She spun her head my way, a furious look on her face. "I would never harm the Christos family. Believe it or not, your maternal ancestor, Helena Christos, was my best friend, who happily gave me her blood to use."

"If she was a Traveler, she would have been against Immortality," I said, remembering what my diary had said about Tessa. "Isn't that why the Travelers killed you?"

"I didn't tell her," Tessa said simply.

"Oh yeah, you guys were such great friends," I said as I drank the contents of my now refilled glass. I gave it back to have more. I was enjoying the buzz.

"Why is my blood special?" I demanded.

"You are a Christos Traveler," She told me.

"And what's so special about being a Christos?" I asked. "I mean, I've searched up Christos so many times-"

"Oh honey," Tessa interrupted. "You are not going to find the history of the Christos Travelers on Google."

"Then where?" I asked. "Bing?"

"Books," She explained. "Books passed down by families."

"Isn't that perfect?" I groaned, taking my now filled glass back. "I'm adopted. And my house burnt to the ground." I got an idea. I turned my head to Tessa. "Why don't you just tell me?"

"I would," She said. "But I have my own agenda tonight. I wouldn't be at a college party voluntarily."

"Come on!" I protested. "After taking my blood-and _not_ keeping your end of the deal, by the way-you owe me this."

"I owe you nothing," She said, shaking her head. "I already saved you."

"When?" I asked, giving her a look.

"At the end of June," Tessa revealed. "I'm the reason you're alive."

"What?" I exclaimed. "What do you mean?"

Tessa rolled her eyes. "I'm here because your friend Bonnie dropped the veil. After she did so, I saw you on the ground at the top of the hill. I knew right away that you were a Christos Traveler, and that I needed you alive if I wanted my plans to go smoothly. So, I did a spell to bring you back from the brink of death. Now, I had just come back to life, so I wasn't strong enough to bring you all the way back, so I had to put you-"

"Into a coma," I finished for her.

She gave me a smile. "Bingo. Sorry for just leaving you there, by the way. I knew someone was gonna find you."

I wasn't listening though. Tessa was the reason that I was alive right now? I was a living, breathing person because of Qetsiyah?

"I see you have to process this," Tessa said. She turned to the bartender. "Could we get some shots over here?"

* * *

I quickly downed my sixth shot. Tessa was somehow faster than me, though. "Not fair!" I protested. "You've been dead for the past two thousand years. How are you a better drinker than me?"

"I don't know," She said.

"You know, I love what you're doing," I said, taking back another shot.

"What?"

"Screwing Silas over! It's a very good idea. Did you know the guy tricked me into thinking that he was Stefan? I got my feelings hurt!"

"That is not good."

"Nope. So send me an invitation to Silas's funeral. I'm going to be the one throwing flowers at his grave." I looked around me. "So I've been officially ditched."

"I know the feeling."

"And we've both been ditched by two different people with the same face."

"It's a bitch, isn't it?"

I sighed, putting my head in my hand. "Regular Stefan doesn't want me, and Amnesic Stefan doesn't want me." I scoffed. "That's gotta be a new one. Ditched by the same guy twice. Sort of. What kind of label is that?"

"I'm not even sure," Tessa said.

"What did I do wrong, Tessa?" I said. "With him, it was always Elena. And I don't even know why! She's not that good looking!"

"You're telling me!" Tessa agreed. "Amara looked just like her. And she was a cheating slut."

"That's another thing Elena and Amara have in common," I commented, knocking my shot glass with Tessa's.

"But seriously, Juliet," Tessa started. "This is a college party. There must be someone you can find to dance with."

There wa_s_ one person that I had not seen since I came back...

A grin crossed my face as I pushed myself off of the bar. "I'll see you later!" I called back to Tessa. "I won't be able to drive, so take me home."

I kept scanning the crowd (not an easy task when you're drunk) but I finally spot the face that I'd been looking for, and pushed past people to get to him.

"If it isn't Juliet Gilbert," Wes said once I got to him.

"If it isn't Doctor Good-Looking," I slurred. "Oops," I said, my hand going on to my mouth as I fought to keep my giggle in. "That's my secret name for you. You're not supposed to know it."

Wes laughed. "I prefer Doctor Jekyll, but Doctor Good-Looking works too." He looked me up and down. "And you are clearly drunk."

"And drunk me is the best dancer," I revealed, taking his hands to lead him to the dance floor. Screw Stefan! I didn't need him to have a good time!

He hesitated. "What?" I asked. "Are you going to deny Juliet Capulet a dance?" I asked, before leaning in dangerously close to Wes's lips. "There is a reason I am the most famous literary lover, Mr. Maxfield."

Wes grabbed my hand, swirling me around before pulling me in close to him, my arm automatically wrapping around his neck so that I didn't fall over. We were so close, in fact, that our noses were touching. "That is _Doctor _Maxfield, Capulet. That is the very first lesson that I taught you, remember?"

"Umhmm," I nodded. I leaned even closer to him. "And exactly _how_ many lessons do you have to teach me-" Now our lips were almost touching. "_Doctor_ Maxfield?"

Wes just smirked before spinning me again. "You are so drunk."

"And this is so inappropriate," I giggled. I mean, he was a teacher!

"But I'm not _your_ teacher, remember?" Wes asked, reffering back to our last conversation. "So that makes it okay. I don't know if I prefer you as my student or not."

"Well, _I _definitely know that I don't prefer you as my teacher," I said as we swayed.

"Interesting to know," He said, spinning me out, then back in. He tilted his head so that his mouth is beside my ear, and his breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "Listen," He said, his tone of voice very quickly changing the playful tone of our conversation to a very serious one. "There are people at this school that are watching your sister and her friends, and asking questions that you don't want them to ask, if you want to keep them safe."

My body went sort of stiff. The serious tone of the situation did nothing to kill my buzz. I was already too drunk. He pulled away from my ear so that he was facing me again, and he squeezed our interlocked hands.

"You can stay, if you want. They're not suspecting anything of you, because you're just a human." Wes was speaking, but all I could pay attention to were his lips. Was this a bad thing? "You have to tell your sister and your friends to pack their things, drop out, and move back to Mystic Falls."

I half registered what he's saying. His lips were the perfect shape! "Why are you telling me?"

Wes brought me a little closer. "Because I'd figured that it'd be easier to tell you."

"Why, am I your favourite student?" I said seductively.

"One, you're technically not my student, and two, I don't have favourite students," He informed me.

"Really?" I asked, and he nodded. "Would I be your favourite if I did, say, this?"

I took Wes by surprise, wrapping my arms around his neck and finally closed the gap between us, planting a soft kiss right on his mouth. And it was better than I imagined!

I was probably going to be expelled for this, but whatever!

I felt Wes kiss back slightly, before I pulled back. A very pleased expression crossed my face as I saw Wes flush a dark red again.

"Am I your favourite now?" I asked.

Wes took my arms off of his neck, and I pouted. "You need to sober up."

My shoulders slouched. "That's it? No, 'that was the best kiss in the world', or 'kiss me again, Juliet'?" Great! Not even Doctor Good-Looking wanted me!

"Go find your friends, Juliet," He said. I was slightly disappointed that he didn't want to go find a closet to make out in, but he did take my hand and kissed the back of it. "And have a good night." Then he turned around, and he was gone.

I huffed. Why do I have the worst luck in the world?

Well, not the _worst_ luck. I did score with Klaus, didn't I?

I found my way back to the bar, and decided to drink until someone was hot. Unfortunately, that required me to get very drunk. Not many people were left at the party, and no one was cute. Stefan was still gone, and Tessa had disappeared too. I didn't know where Elena and Damon, or Caroline and Tyler were.

I had the best friends in the world.

I considered taking my phone out and calling Matt, but he was probably having fun with his own friends. And then I considered calling Klaus, but knowing him, he's busy with New Orleans drama, and if he heard that I was sad, would take the next flight to Mystic Falls. Not even, he would _run _here if he had to.

So I kept drinking. And drinking. And drinking. I was probably going to get alcohol poisoning. Maybe it was time to stop.

My mind went from Wes, to my friends, then finally to Stefan. He ditched me less than an hour into the party! He could have at least waited until the full hour.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and by this time, I was so drunk I couldn't even _think_ straight, let alone _see_. So I thought the person in front of me, was Stefan.

And Drunk Me did not hold back.

"So you're finally back, huh?" I asked, turning around. "While you were flaunting about, I was sitting here practically drinking myself to death! I didn't really want to be here Stefan, and I knew that you didn't want to be either. You could have just told me, and I could have gone back to my dorm and done more studying. And if you were having such a sucky time with me, you could have just told me instead of ditching me. I would have been more okay with that!"

"Juliet, calm down-"

"I don't want to calm down!" I said. "I just-I don't know what I want. But it's not to calm down."

A hand grabbed my arm. "Let's just get you out of here before you pass out. You're barely on your feet!"

"That is not true!" I said, but it totally was. I was stumbling all over the place. I took one step, and fell right into Stefan's arms. Though it didn't feel like Stefan's arms.

I finally let myself focus properly, and managed to make out a face. And it wasn't Stefan's.

Before I had a chance to say anything, I passed right out, my head falling on top of the person's chest.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I just really want the Silas chapter episodes done with, so this wasn't that long. I did like it, though! **

**I LOVED the Julie/Wes interaction! She kissed him! I have so much fun writing them omg. Originally, they were supposed to kiss, but you can thank the Doctor's Charlene for that!**

**We also got some pre-coma Juliet information! Tessa was the one to save her! Tessa saves everyone, doesn't she?**

**So! Next up, Handle with Care. Pretty excited for that one, actually. We get more Juliet revelations, and more Juliet and Tessa, which I actually love writing. I'm liking their friendship.**

**Anyways, it's 1 AM where I am, and I have school in the morning, so adios!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	6. Handle With Care

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:** Can I just say that I'm so happy about all the follows and favourites that I have for this story? You guys make me so happy!

So I've made the poll for the AU! Please vote!

* * *

**Enjoy!**

_"Don't bother," Elena's voice called out. "I'm not there."_

_ Stefan and I both immediately spun around and stood up, Stefan pushing me behind him slightly so that I was standing behind him._

_ "Silas," He breathed._

_ Elena-or Silas- smiled at us. _

_ "You were stone," Stefan said. "We saw you, the spell worked!"_

_ "That's the funny thing about spells," Silas said. "They're bound by nature. And nature, demands balance, so every spell has a loophole. The spell that turned me into stone, was bound by a witch. A _living_ witch. When that witch died, the spell broke."_

_ "What?" I demanded, my insides tying up. Bonnie wasn't dead. She was not dead!_

_ "Bonnie?" Stefan asked. "Bonnie's not dead." _

_ Thank you, Stefan!_

_ "Doesn't matter," Silas dismissed. "And here's when the mystery of me comes full circle. _I_ created the Immortality spell two thousand years ago. I can never die. So nature, had to find a balance. A version of me that could die. A shadow self."_

_ That did not sound good. Shadow self? What the hell was he talking about?_

_ "A doppelganger."_

_ Oh. Well, then._

_ "So this is finally your real face?" Stefan questioned. "You're another one of them?"_

_ "Not exactly," Silas mused, and I swear my eyes were closed for only two seconds when I blinked, and the figure in front of me wasn't Elena anymore._

_ It was the man that I was in love with._

_ Stefan._

_ "Hello, my shadow self," Silas said to his doppelganger._

_ I was still trying to wrap my head around this. Silas was Stefan's doppelganger? Or, the other way around? This was why we should have left Mystic Falls first._

_ Before I had the chance to say anything, Silas grabbed my throat, and launched me to the other side of us. I yelped as my body hit a tree, hard, and an aching pain spread through my body. I felt a crack in my side, and a pulsing pain. I might have broken something. My head banged on the ground, and I had to fight through the dizziness to actually see._

_ Silas stabbed Stefan right in the gut. I think I tried calling out for him, but I let out a rough scream instead._

_ I tried getting up, but with the pain in my side, it wasn't going to work out. So instead, I began dragging myself towards them, but Silas had already dumped Stefan's body into the safe that Silas was supposed to be in. _

_ "Stefan," I cried out weakly as Silas pushed the safe off of the cliff, and it fell into the quarry._

_ Silas turned around, and I realized how bad the situation was. I was alone, injured, with Silas. I was so dead._

_ He sauntered over to me. He looked exactly like Stefan. _

_ But by the evil look in his eye, I could tell the difference._

_ Silas loomed over me, before he reached down and grabbed me by the throat. I struggled to breathe as he lifted me in the air. I panted as I fought back my screams._

_ "Now, what to do with you?" Silas pondered aloud._

_ "Why did you do that to Stefan?" I choked out._

_ "Well, it's going to be kind of hard pretending to be him if he's running around."_

_ "Why do you want to pretend to be Stefan?" I gasped._

_ "It's all part of the plan, kid," He told me, and I bit back my scream as he choked me harder. "Unfortunately, it's not a plan that you'll be able to see."_

_ Seemingly out of nowhere, Silas pulled a knife out before plunging it right into my neck._

_ This time, I screamed. I screamed as loud as my lungs would allow me. Silas took the knife out, and I immediately started becoming extra dizzy from the blood lost._

_ Silas's eyes trailed hungrily down the steady flow of blood spurting from my neck down my clothes. "You know, it would be a shame to let your blood go wasted."_

_ And without another word, Silas's mouth was on my neck, and I screamed as if my life depended on it as he drained the life out of me. I began getting weaker and weaker, and my knees kept dropping closer and closer to the ground. Eventually, he unlatched his teeth from my neck, and I flopped right to the ground, with no strength to even move. I just laid there, my eyes fixated on the spot where Stefan used to be standing. _

_ I faintly heard the sound of an engine, and then I just assumed that Silas has left. What I was more concerned about where the sound of my heartbeats. They were slower._

_ My eyes fluttered shut as my heart crept towards its last beat..._

* * *

Hands at my throat, I took a deep gasp in as I bolted up, and then I immediately winced at the pain in my head. Damn hangovers.

"Ohhhh," I groaned, covering my eyes with my hand. I flopped back, and realized that I was sitting in a chair, still dressed as Juliet Capulet. There was a small pillow behind me, and a blanket thrown over top of me. I finally cracked my eyes open enough to realize that I wasn't at my dorm. Or my house. Or at the boarding house. I was at...

"Good, you're up," Tessa whispered as she walked past me. I was about to say something, but she put a finger to her lip and gestured over to the couch that she had in the cabin. I looked over, and Stefan was fast asleep. She winced at the look on my face. "I knew you drank a lot last night, but I didn't know just how much."

"What even happened last night?" I groaned as I sat up.

Tessa sat down next to me. "Too much to recount. You told me that you didn't want to drive home drunk, so I just brought you here." I eyed the bowl of berries and the glass in her hands. "Isn't that what friends are for? Taking their drunk friends home to sober up?" She asked as she held out a glass of something to me.

I looked from Tessa, to the glass, then back to Tessa as I took it. "You're right."

"Drink that. It'll make you feel better."

I put the glass to my lips to drink it.

"Just be mindful of-"

And I spat most of it right back up. That was the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted in my life! And I had eaten hospital food!

"The taste."

Our noises were enough to wake Stefan up. He looked at us, a bit confused.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Tessa said as she walked over to sit next to Stefan on the couch. "Sleep well?"

"Hey, Tessa. Hey, Julie," He greeted to the both of us.

"You're confused," Tessa commented. "Is that the amnesia, or the tequila?"

"A little of both, actually," Stefan said. "I'm still trying to piece together last night."

"We bonded over our misery," Tessa told him. "There were body shots. The misery lifted." She handed Stefan the bowl. "Here, berries."

"I'm confused," I said, lifting my hand up. "What was I doing last night?"

"Well, you did quite a number of things before I managed to bring you here. And then I had to keep your paws off of the tequila so that you wouldn't get alcohol poisoning," Tessa told me.

"Right," I said, leaning back on the chair. As much as I hated it, my hangover was actually getting better because of whatever Tessa gave me to drink. So I just pinched my nose and downed the rest of it as Stefan and Tessa kept talking.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Stefan questioned.

"I happened to see a text message pop up on your phone after you crashed last night," Tessa explained as she popped a berry in her mouth. "Warning from your friends. Silas took the cure. He's a witch!"

Stefan and I didn't look to enthusiastic about it, so Tessa continued. "He's mortal. That means I, get to kill him." She gleefully tapped Stefan's leg. "Get up, gorgeous! Your doppelganger dies today!"

Tessa got up and walked over to the table in the room. "Silas is looking for the Anchor. It's the object I used when to bind the spell when I created the Other Side." She began fiddling with a vase of flowers. "Destroy it, and the spell is broken. No more supernatural limbo. And Silas can find peace. I'd rather his lying, cheating ass, not have that."

"Good for you," I said, pointing to Tessa. "Fight the power."

"Where is it?" Stefan asked.

"New Jersey," She answered, and then she filled Stefan and I in on what we missed last night.

"So, Silas just read your mind to find out where the Anchor is," I clarified. Why did it always seem like these people where looking for something? "What happens now?"

"You know that old, ancient story that I told you about the Travelers?" Tessa asked, but I guess the story was more directed to Stefan. Tessa paused. "Oh wait, I fried your brains and took your memories away, sorry."

Stefan just nodded, and Tessa continued. "So the Travelers-wait. You know how Silas wants to destroy the Other Side so that he can be at peace with that slut Amara that he calls his one true love?" She didn't wait for an answer. "The Travelers don't want that."

"Why not?" Stefan asked.

"Not important," Tessa dismissed. She took the vase in her hands and walked over to us. "Scratch that-_very_ important. I'm just not going to answer it," She said as she put the vase down on the table.

Tessa grabbed the tequila bottle to put away, but Stefan took it from her grasp before she could. "You know, I think I still need to be drunk to understand this story."

He poured some into a shot glass as Tessa went on. "The Travelers have been in possession of the Anchor for two thousand years. They constantly move it so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. And they're not going to let him get near it. At least, not before I kill him."

I got up from my spot on the chair to go and grab the bowl of berries. I crashed onto the couch next to Stefan as I popped a handful in my mouth and relished at the sweet taste.

"What happens if they fail, and Silas gets to it?" I asked.

Tessa scoffed as she turned to face us. "He won't destroy it. He won't be able to."

"Why not?" Stefan asked.

Tessa thought for a second. "Let's just file that under the 'not going to answer' category."

"Well, the good thing about amnesia is that I don't remember how I got into the middle of all this," Stefan said as he began to lie back down. I scootched over a little so that he could stretch his legs.

Tessa laughed as she walked over to him. "Rest easy, sweetpea. Don't you worry about the details. Silas _is_ going to die today. And he will spend eternity on the Other Side as far away from Amara-and peace-as possible."

She got up, and walked over to the front door. "I got it all covered. You don't scheme as long as I have without considering every possibility."

With that, she turned to walk out the door, but something stopped her. She made an "oomph" sound as she was pushed backwards.

I stood up to walk over to her. "What's wrong?"

Tessa slammed her fist against some sort of invisible force field. She groaned as she turned around and slammed the door shut. "Silas put a spell on this cabin. We're stuck here until sundown."

"How do you know that?" Stefan asked.

Tessa looks ready to kill herself as she said, "Because I taught him the damn spell."

* * *

Well, if we were going to be stuck inside a cabin until sundown, I didn't want to be dressed as Juliet Capulet. My headache now faded away, I asked Tessa to borrow some clothes so that I could take a shower. She lent me a stripped black and white sundress that was miraculously my size, and I quickly jumped into the shower so I could wipe off all of Juliet Capulet-so that I was Juliet Gilbert again.

I pinned my still wet hair up into a messy bun before slipping the dress on. I opened the door to walk out, and came face to face with Stefan.

"Hey," He said.

"Hi," I managed.

"Look, Tessa told me that you think I ditched you last night at Whitmore," He rushed out.

I crossed my arms. "Well, we danced for less than an hour before you went over to the open bar, and by the time I came back from the bathroom, you were nowhere to be seen. So I'm sorry if my mind immediately went to ditching." I held up a finger and let a fake smile cross my face. "Watch as I reenact what you did last night." My fake smile dropped and I attempted to push past him.

Stefan grabbed my arm, stopping me. My lips stretched and formed a tight line as he began talking. "I just wanted to let you know that I didn't ditch you last night. Damon took me to Silas, and then he kept snapping my neck so Silas could get into Tessa's head. I wouldn't ditch you. Besides," He said, an actual smile creeping on his face. "I was having fun."

I let my facial muscles relax. "I guess if you didn't ditch me, then you're forgiven." I pointed a threatening finger in his direction. "But if you ever leave me alone at a party ever again, I will kill you. I drank myself stupid last night."

"Yeah, Tessa told me that you kissed that teacher."

Wait.

_What_?

"_What_?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "I kissed Wes?!" My fingers flew to my lips as I pushed past Stefan to get the real story from Tessa.

I stormed into the kitchen area, where she was cooking something. "You let me kiss Doctor Maxfield?"

Tessa looked from me, then to the pan on the stove, before grabbing a plate and offering it to me. "Bacon?"

I grabbed the plate and set it down on the table angrily-though I still did intend to eat it. "You let me kiss Doctor Maxfield?!" I repeated.

"In my defense, I didn't know you were going after your teacher," Tessa defended.

"He's not my teacher," I found myself saying. I groaned, before balling my hands into fists and slamming them on my forehead. "Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid! I'm never going to be able to look the guy in the eyes anymore!"

"At least you got to kiss someone," Tessa offered. "And you were really drunk. I'm sure he's just passing it off as you being a horny drunk."

"God, what else did I say to him?" I thought aloud. I racked my brain for the memories, but it seemed like all that alcohol seemed to wash away all of my memories from last night in one big wave.

I was _so_ done with alcohol. Matt was right.

"Look, don't worry about it now," Tessa said as she put her hand on my arm and guided me to the table. She sat me down in the chair as she went over and grabbed a plate, putting scrambled eggs and bacon on it. "You just have a little something to eat, okay?"

I slammed my head on the table in front of me as Tessa sat the plate in front of me. The aroma of bacon brought my head right back up, and I dug in, happy to have something inside my stomach. "Thank you," I said to Tessa when I took a break from shoveling food into my mouth.

She smiled, and patted my arm. "You're welcome." She walked towards the table, and I just stuck in my headphones as I ate.

I quickly finished, and put my dish in the sink. I was just pulling out my headphones when I actually saw what Tessa was doing.

She was on Stefan's phone, for some reason. "Who were you talking to?" I asked when she hung up.

"Oh, it was just a wrong number," She smirked.

"Okay, then." I shrugged as I went and sat down on the couch. I had texted Caroline earlier and told her that Wes knew that she and Elena were vampires (strangely the only thing that I remembered from last night) and Caroline texted me back saying that she had started packing up her stuff. I told her to just start packing mine too, but Caroline said that just because she and Elena were being threatened didn't mean that I had to suffer with them. She somehow convinced me to stay at Whitmore.

Though I was going to need a map to avoid Wes at all costs.

"So," I said, settling into the couch. "Tell me more about Christos Travelers."

"Oh, all right," Tessa said, coming to sit down next to me. "Well, Helena Christos, your ancestor, was my best friend. She helped me create the Immortality spell. Well, indirectly."

"Using her blood," I clarified, and Tessa nodded. "How? What is so special about Christos blood?"

"It's difficult to explain," She told me. "After Silas and I, the Christos family were the most powerful family of Travelers. So when the Traveler curse was placed on them, they were able to resist most of the effects."

"Most of them?" I repeated.

"Yes, most of them," She said. "They can call on some forces of nature, but it doesn't work as strong as it should."

"And you said that my blood made spells and stuff stronger," I said, and she nodded.

"Because your family resisted the Traveler curse, your blood is stronger than other Travelers."

I sighed as I sunk back into the couch. "That is a lot ot digest."

"I know," Tessa said, patting my knee affectionately. "Wait, I might have something that will interest you." She got up, and walked over to a bookshelf. She scanned the shelf until she found what she's looking for. She pulled out a rather large book, and came back with it. "Here," She said, holding it out to me.

I took it out of her hands, blowing the dust off of it. "What is it?"

"It's a spell book," She answered, sitting back down next to me. "There's a lot more on there than what you'd find on Google or Bing. I thought you might be interested."

I looked from the book to Tessa. "You know, I have just woken up, and I already feel like going back to sleep. I'm that overwhelmed by all of this."

"You just go back to sleep if you need to," Tessa said, patting my shoulder.

"I might take you up on that offer," I said, putting the heavy book down on the coffee table before lying down properly on the couch. It was about time for my after breakfast nap.

* * *

I only had my eyes closed for about fifteen minutes, when there was a knock at the door. I sat up on the couch so that I could get up and answer it, but Tessa got to the door before me. So I just laid back on the couch, but then I heard her say, "If it isn't Stefan's fated love."

"Where is he?" Elena's voice demanded, and I had to fight back my shiver at the thought of Silas, and him drinking me dry.

"Come in," Tessa said, opening the door more. "Who am I to stand in the way of destiny."

Elena just eyed Tessa carefully as she walked inside, and she actually stopped in her steps when she sees me. "Julie?"

"What?" I demanded, a little offended at the tone in her voice.

"What are you doing _here_?" She asked. "I thought you were back at the dorm with Caroline."

"Well, after I drunk myself stupid last night, I entrusted Tessa with my care," I said. "And she brought me here to sober up. And then I passed out."

"Actually, you passed out before I even brought you here," Tessa corrected.

Elena was about to say something, but stopped when she looked over my shoulder. I turned around to see Stefan, buttoning up his shirt. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I fought to keep my eyes away from his chest.

"Elena," Stefan said. "You shouldn't have walked through that door."

"I'm really sorry," She apologized. For what, though? Being a bitch? "I wouldn't have let Damon do what he did to you-"

"Sure you would have," Stefan cut her off. "You have an annoying tendancy to do whatever he tells you to."

My hand went to my mouth to conceal my laugh. That was the best thing I had ever heard out of Stefan's mouth. And this was _amnesia _Stefan. Why did only amnesia Stefan recognize Elena's bullshit?

"I'm no shrink," Tessa spoke up. "But I think it's called co-dependance."

Elena formed her lips into a thin line as she ignored Tessa. "Look. I get that you're upset with us, for pretty much _everything_. But do you really think that sleeping with Tessa-" She whirled around and pointed at my friend before looking back at Stefan. "-Is gonna solve anything?"

Stefan gave Tessa a confused looked, and she just stood there innocently. "Who said I was sleeping with Tessa?"

This time it was Elena's turn to look confused, so she slowly turned to face Tessa. "I am so bad with messages," Tessa revealed. She held up Stefan's phone. "Oh look. Elena called. She's wondering why you're here. I _may_ have embelished for effect."

"Okay," Elena started. "I just came by to check that she hadn't done any sort of fatal attraction spell on you, but now that I know that you're good, I'm gonna go."

She turned around, and gave Tessa a death stare as she walked towards the door. Hang on, wasn't there something going on with the cabin? Something about not being able to...

Elena's body collided with the invisible force field in the doorway. Yeah, the cabin was enchanted. Confused, she tried walking out again, but it didn't work.

"Yeah, you really shouldn't have walked through the door," Stefan repeated, and Elena turned around to give Tessa another death glare.

Well my afternoon just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

Now that Elena had been taken hostage, Tessa took Stefan's phone to make a little phone call. "You ain't seen nothing yet," She said into the phone. "Since I am..._occupied_ at the moment, I need you to go ahead and kill Silas for me."

Elena, Stefan, and I all turned our heads in Tessa's direction. Elena had informed me that Silas was going to help us bring Bonnie back from the dead, and honestly, I was a bit skeptical that _Silas_-the man who had drained me of my blood-was going to help us.

"You mean after he destroys the Other Side?" Tessa asked whoever she was talking to. "Yeah, that's not going to happen. Besides, I want him _dead_ before he has the pleasure of finding the Anchor," She said, then waited for a second as the person on the other line spoke. "Kill him. _Now_," Tessa stressed.

"Damon-" Elena called out.

Oh, _that's_ who he's talking to.

"Did I mention that I lured your girlfriend here to me?" Tessa told Damon with delight. "I used the oldest trick in the book. Jealously. Of Stefan!" Tessa turned her head in his direction, and by now, we were all feeling awkward, Elena more than Stefan and I. "Thought you should know."

Elena rolled her eyes and turned around, but Tessa pointed a hand at her, and suddenly, she was on the ground, screaming in pain. Stefan went over to Elena to try and comfort her.

"Is that something more important than Elena?" Tessa asked Damon, never breaking focus. "Because Silas put a spell on this house, bounding it to the sun, so we're trapped here until sundown. Which means that you have until then to kill Silas, or I kill Elena." She stopped the assault on Elena, who gasped in relief. "With a face like Amara's, it might be cathartic. Bye now."

She quickly hung up, before giving the three of us a smile. "Who's hungry?"

* * *

With Elena here, things had gotten maybe ten times more boring. I was hoping to do a little more bonding with Stefan, but ever since Elena arrived, Tessa's been trying to make her jealous, and it was painfully obvious. Tessa sat on one side of Stefan, while I sat on the other. Tessa and Stefan were looking through a take out menu to find something to eat, while Elena sat all the way in the corner, feeling sorry for herself. As always.

As for me, I was looking through that spell book Tessa had given me. Sure, I couldn't understand a _word_ (it was all in Latin or something. I took French in high school. And look how well it did for me) but I enjoyed trying to decipher what some stuff meant. And any sort of distraction from around me was fine with me.

"Look at all the incredible things that they've dreamt up to do with food," Tessa said. "Pineapple on pizza?"

"It's actually pretty good," I commented.

Tessa looked over at me and smiled, then she looked at Elena, who literally had a cloud shouting "pity me" surrounding her. "Why so sad? Let me guess: gluten free?"

"How did you get here?" Elena mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Tessa asked, getting Elena to speak louder.

"_Here_. Alive, from the Other Side. How did you come back to life?" She clarified.

"Oh, yeah, that," Tessa said. "You can blame your friend Bonnie for that. She opened the door, and then distracted herself bringing your little brother back to life, and I just walked right through, when she died."

"Well today, Silas was going to bring her back to life after he got the Anchor," Elena informed her, and I would admit it. I felt a pang at the realization that I may never see Bonnie again. But this is Mystic Falls. No one stayed dead permanently, did they? "But you told my boyfriend, who has never put anyone's life before mine, including his own, to kill him before he could. So no, I'm not sad about the pizza."

The air was a bit tight until Stefan looked at me and Tessa. "Look, forget the pizza. What do you say, I make something?" He suggested.

"Okay," Tessa said, and I shrugged, agreeing. "Roasted duck?" She suggested.

"Wait, do you have a duck?" Stefan asked.

"No," Tessa said glumly. "Maybe we can lure one in." Louder, she said, "Got Elena in. How much smarter could a duck be?"

Tessa needed to stop before I did something completely inappropriate.

* * *

In an effort to try and make myself useful, I volunteered to help Stefan and Tessa cook. Stefan had be cut some veggies and stuff as he gave Tessa a taste of whatever he was cooking. She tasted it, and said that it was good, before she flirtatiously touched his back. It took everything in my to not just stab her with the knife.

Where did _that_ come from?

"Okay, I get it," Elena said, and the three of us turned around to face her. "You hate me," She said directly to Stefan.

Wow. Way to make everything about yourself, Elena. Self absorbed, much?

"You may not have any memories, Stefan, but I do. This person-" She turned her head to Tessa. "-She's not the sort of person you would like."

Tessa and I exchanged glances. "That's not very nice. Especially considering that I've allowed you to remain alive until sundown." Tessa looked out the window. "Would you look at that? Almost sundown." She grabbed Stefan's phone again, and walked over to the other side of the room to dial Damon again.

I eventually just gave up on the cooking, and grabbed the spell book before sitting at the table with Elena, flipping through the book.

"Is he dead yet?" Tessa asked when Damon picked up.

"They probably want his blood," Tessa said to Damon, and I rolled my eyes. Great. Someone _else _with magical blood. "Silas drank the Cure from Katherine, now his blood is the Cure." Tessa paused, listening to the other end. "Think about it, Damon. The Travelers aren't fans of immortality. And I had to bind the other side to _something_. Something that would last forever. Something that Silas couldn't destroy." She paused. "Something a little closer to his heart. 2000 years old. Immortal. Indestructable. You're a smart boy Damon. Figure it out."

Wait just a second.

Something close to his heart that Silas couldn't bear to destroy...2000 years old...indestructable..._immortal_...

"_Son. Of. A. Bitch,_" I accidentally said aloud, clutching the spell book to my chest.

Tessa was a freaking _genius._

The Anchor was Amara.

"What is it?" Elena asked.

Before I could answer her, Stefan zoomed across the room and stabbed Tessa right in the stomach with a kitchen knife.

"Tessa!" I exclaimed. "No!" Oh, this was _great_!

I tried to run over to my friend, but after Stefan commanded Elena to run, he grabbed me by the arm and zoomed right after her.

"Hey! Wait! No!" I struggled.

Once we were far away enough, I pulled myself out of Stefan's grip. "What the hell was that about?"

"You heard Tessa," Stefan said simply.

"If I remember correctly, Tessa was the one that saved your ass from that quarry!" I threw back.

"Tessa was going to kill Elena," Stefan retorted.

"Elena is a big girl!" I stormed. "I'm pretty sure that she can take care of herself. Oh wait, that's right, she can't!" I kept going, not even caring if Elena could hear me at this point. "Because apparently, she can't do anything right without the people of this god damn town having to swoop in and save her."

"Where is all this coming from? She is your _sister_."

"And Damon is _your _brother, but that didn't stop the two of you from hating each other for over a hundred and fifty years!" I responded. I groaned, balling my hands into fists. I felt the air around me beginning to pick up, but as soon as I took a couple deep breaths to calm me down, they quickly faded. Did I do that?

"Elena is my friend, and your sister. I was trying to protect her," Stefan said, ignoring what I said.

How could he have his head so far up her ass? I sighed. "It's always about Elena, isn't it? Elena needs saving, Elena needs the Cure, we need to kill and hurt people-like Kol Mikaelson and his _entire_ bloodline-to save Elena's life. Well, we _don't_, Stefan. We do not need to sacrifice so many people for the life of one person."

"Even your sibling?" He questioned.

"To be honest, Stefan, I really stopped caring about Elena after she tried to kill me when her humanity was turned off."

"So her humanity was turned off! She wasn't in her right mind," He defended.

"But she never apologized for it!" I bellowed, and the wind picked up a bit harder this time. I let myself calm down before I start talking again. "The thing that makes me upset is that she never even tried to apologize. She's just been trying to bury it underneath us like it never happened. But the truth is, I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Damon and Tessa."

"What does Tessa have to do with it?" He asked.

"Tessa is the one that saved my life after Silas stabbed you and threw you into that safe, and nearly sucked my dry. She saw that I was dying, and healed me," I explained.

"So is that why you're so eager to stand up for Tessa?" Stefan inquired.

"You know what? Yes, yes it is," I said after a bit of thought. "And you should be too. Because if it weren't for Tessa, you'd still be stuck drowning in a safe while your brother and ex-girlfriend shacked up," I finished, quoting Caroline. With that, I turned on my heel and stormed away. I heard Stefan calling me, but I ignored him. We were by the boarding house enough that I knew the way back to Matt's place, so I let my steam die down as I walked back home, to the one person that I knew valued humanity and lives.

All the while I clutched Tessa's spell book tightly in my hands, and watched the falling leaves dance around me, following the pattern of my hand.

* * *

**TBC...**

**About that little rant...**

**Juliet likes Tessa. Tessa saved her life, told her about her family, and her magic. So of course, she's pissed off when Stefan hurts her, trying to protect Elena. Elena, who is in constant need of saving.**

**Seeing Elena for who she is now a big thing for Juliet. Juliet only knows pre-September 2009 Elena, when she still had her senses. To see how quickly her personality has changed after meeting Stefan and Damon and becoming a vampire is a hard thing to digest, especially when you know that your sister has tried to kill you.**

**Juliet and Stefan and Juliet and Elena will reconcile eventually, it might just take some time. Stefan and Juliet faster than her and Elena though lol.**

**So I now have an official summary worked up for the AU in NOLA! Which is good, so I know what I am aiming for when I start writing it.**

**ANYWAYS!**

**Please vote in the Poll about what to do for the Jefan (Jules/Stefan) AU please! I'm really conflicted ha ha.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	7. Death and the Maiden

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:** Can I just say that I'm so happy about all the follows and favourites that I have for this story? You guys make me so happy!

So I've made the poll for the Human!Jefan AU! Please vote!

* * *

**Enjoy!**

"Matty!" I whispered. Matt didn't move an inch. Wait, why was I whispering? Matt and I were the only ones in the house. I crept up from beside his bed, and flopped right on top of him. "Up!"

Matt yelled as he flung his eyes open. He looked like he had a mini heart attack! He recovered quickly when he saw that it was just me. "Jesus, Jules! What are you trying to do? Kill me?"

"No," I said, and held up Tessa's spell book that I had stayed up all night trying to read. I eventually had to open up Google Translate on my laptop. "I've been reading Tessa's spell book, and I think I can do a spell!"

"Okay," Matt said, sitting up slightly. "You clearly want to show me, so go ahead."

"Sorry about this," I muttered in advance. I pointed both my hands at Matt's head. "Evhas elebuk estupay!"

He immediately started groaning in pain at the pain infliction spell I had incantated. I squealed with delight, quickly stopping.

"What did you do?" He asked, rubbing at his head.

"It was a pain infliction spell. Travelers can't create actual pain, so this spell activates the power of pain infliction."

"And that means?..."

"I'm not fully sure yet, the book is in Latin."

"Is that all you needed?" Matt asked, lying back down in his bed. "Or can I go back to sleep?"

"Nope," I said, flopping back on top of him. "You have work."

"Can't I just ditch?" He mumbled.

"Who else is gonna pay for the bills?"

"I don't know, maybe, _you_?"

"I'm still suffering from trauma, Matty."

"Trauma! What trauma?" He asked, bolting upright.

I shrugged slightly. "My life."

* * *

I eventually got Matty out of bed and off to work. Once he was gone, I realized that I had nothing to do. Caroline was still at the college, Matt was at work, and I was in a fight with Stefan, and by association, Elena and Damon.

I needed more friends.

So I took a quick shower, throwing on a flowery tank top and jean shorts before I called up the one person other than Matt that wasn't mad at me right now. "Juliet! What a pleasant surprise."

"Klaus, I told you last night that I'd call you today."

"Oh right."

"So how are things in New Orleans?" I asked, sitting on the couch and tucking my legs up.

"They're fine. Juliet, I know you. And by the tone of your voice, this isn't just a casual phone call. What's wrong?" Klaus asked.

It was strange how a man that I had not seen yet knew me so well.

"I feel like, ever since I woke up, I want to go back to sleep," I said. "Well, not _sleep_ sleep, but comatose sleep. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do, love. What's happened?"

"Stefan hates me. I mean, the man's got no memories of me, but he hates me. I made the wrong impression last night when I yelled at him."

"You yelled at him?"

"Yup."

"And for what?"

"He was making Elena to be the Queen of Everything," I blurted. "I mean, isn't that what she basically is? Everyone is so preoccupied with her that they wouldn't even notice if there was a hostile takeover of the town."

"And you yelled at him for it," Klaus concluded.

"Yeah. God Klaus, I felt like all the tension that has been building up between Elena and me finally broke, but I let it out on Stefan. And now I refuse to look him in the eye."

"You know what this sounds like to me?" He asked.

"What?"

"This does not sound like the Juliet Gilbert that I know."

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly offended.

"Where is the Juliet that yelled at _me_ for getting upset with her when I thought that Silas had put a piece of white oak stake in my back? Where is the Juliet that cursed at me until I came to her graduation with the cure for her friend dying of werewolf venom? Where is the Juliet that practically kicked my ass when I told her that I wanted Hayley and my baby dead?"

"I read about that in my diary. It sounded like I beat you up pretty bad."

"You _did_. That's the Juliet Gilbert that I admire. That's the Juliet Gilbert that I'd fight for. Whatever you do, don't lose sight of her."

Actual tears sprung up, and I gently wiped them away. "I want to see you," I blurted.

"What?"

"I'm gonna come to New Orleans."

"What? When?" Klaus asked, sounding excited.

That made me laugh. "I don't know. But I want to see your face again. I want to hear your laugh. You're one of my favourite people Klaus, even if I don't remember it all that well."

"I remember _all_ of it Jules, and trust me, I was your _favourite_ person."

I laughed again. "I'll talk to you later, Klaus. I have some apologizes to make."

"That's my girl. I'll see you soon?"

"_Very_ soon. I promise."

As soon as I hung up the phone, it started ringing again, so I just assumed that it was Klaus and he forgot to say something. I quickly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Capulet," a voice said, and I immediately froze. That was _not_ Klaus.

"Stefan," I breathed. "What do you want?"

"I remember."

This time, my heart froze. "What?"

"I remember everything. Everything about my life, everything that we've been through. I remember it all."

"That's great!" I said happily. Even though I was still pissed at Stefan, I was still happy that he had his memories back. And that was when I remembered what I was going to do. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have said any of those things."

"I should have understood better," Stefan said. "You were right. We do have a tendancy to make everything about Elena. You had just woken up from a coma, and you had no memories of the last two years. I kind of understand where you're coming from. I've had that past with Damon, you were right."

"Just because I said sorry to you, doesn't mean that I'm gonna say it to Elena. My sister and I still have a ways to go until we can properly reconcile. But us? We're not mad at each other anymore?"

"We're not mad at each other anymore," He clarified.

"Good. I don't like it when we're in a fight. According to my diaries, we were good friends."

"And according to my memories, we are," He said. "Listen, I called you to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"We've found a way to bring Bonnie back."

* * *

"And exactly how do you plan on performing this spell?" I asked as I paced the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan told me that they planned on making Bonnie the Anchor to the Other Side once they found out that Amara (who had sucked the Cure right out of Silas last night, and she's mortal again) has one foot on both sides, so if we transfer the Anchor powers to Bonnie, she'll be alive again.

So of course I rushed right over to see how they are going to execute this genius plan.

"We need a witch to perform it," Damon said, looking right at me.

My eyes widened and I immediately started shaking my head. "Nuh-uh. No way. I am _not_ powerful enough for something like that." I pondered for a second. "But I _do_ know someone who is."

"Oh, please tell me you're not talking about who I think you are," Damon muttered.

"Tessa?" Elena guessed.

I made an annoyed face. "No, Harry Houdini. Yes, Tessa! She's the most powerful witch who is closest to us in regards to area. She wants Amara dead just like we do. It couldn't be more perfect!"

"Juliet's right," Elena started, actually ignoring my comment, and I was a bit surprise to hear her say that. "Tessa is the only one that can do it."

"Great," Damon said, standing up from the chair he was sitting in. "Then I'll go talk to her."

"Damon, wait!" I paused him, running in front of him. "Maybe I should be the one to go. By myself."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," Damon said.

"Damon, I am the only one that Tessa maybe likes," I said. "If she's gonna listen to anyone, it would be me."

Damon thought for a second, before he sighed. "Who else is okay with this?"

Everyone in the room nodded in approval. "Then it's settled," I said. "But before I go, I need twenty bucks," I requested, holding my hand out in front of Damon.

"What? For what?" He asked.

I groaned. "Do you want Tessa to help us?"

"Yes."

"Then fork it over."

* * *

One cup of ice cream from Dairy Queen later, I pulled up to Tessa's cabin. With the ice cream in one hand, and her spell book in the other, I closed the driver's side door with my hip before quickly running over to the door. I knocked on the door, and waited for Tessa to answer. A couple seconds later, she did. She looked completely unharmed.

She eyed the cup in my hand. "What is that?"

"A peace offering?" I suggested, holding it out in front of her to take. "I'm sorry about what went down the other day. Trust me, I had nothing to do with what Stefan did. In fact, I yelled at him about it right after."

"Really?" Tessa asked, and I nodded. She looked from the cup, to me, then back to the cup as she took it out of my hands. "Come in."

"Will do," I said as I gently stepped in. "So, here's the thing," I said, going right into it.

"I knew you were here for something," Tessa grumbled to herself. "What is it?"

"You know Amara, right?" I asked. "She looks exactly like my attention whore of a sister, she's the very first Immortal woman?"

"What about her?" Tessa asked as she took a bite of the ice cream.

"Well, the other night, she punched a hole in Silas's neck and drained the Cure right out of him. She's human now. Oh, and she kind of wants to die," I informed her. "And we have her at the Salvatore house."

"But she's alive?" Tessa confirmed.

"Right now, yeah," I answered. "But Silas is on his way to kill her right now. He wants to destroy the Other Side so that he and Amara can have their happily ever after." I stepped closer to Tessa. "And I know that you would rather his lying, cheating ass, not have that."

"I get all that, Juliet. But what do you and your friends want?" Tessa asked.

"The Anchor is the glue that holds together the Other Side, is it not?" I clarified, and Tessa nodded. "And you need a powerful being to hold it together. Amara was perfect until she washed away her Immortality, but I _do_ have someone else in mind for the job, in case you were looking. And if I were you, I'd start looking quick."

"You mean an Anchor swap?" She asked.

"Exactly. The person I have in mind is dead and stuck on the Other Side."

"I'd be making a _ghost_ a human toll booth between our side and the Other Side, giving her the power to interact with our physical world and the supernatural purgatory," Tessa said.

"Well, it's good to know that we're on the same page, but what's your point?

"I need a _massive_ amount of power to do a transfer spell like that," She explained.

"Okay," I said. "What do you need?"

"I need something to draw on," Tessa started. "Moon's not full. I don't think there's another worthy comet for another billion years."

"I really don't think that Amara is gonna last till the end of the day, much less a billion years," I told her. While I was at the boarding house, I could hear Amara's desperate screams for someone to leave her alone. I just thought that she was nuts, but then I found out that she was just talking to people on the Other Side. I would scream too.

"Amara, that's it!" Tessa said.

I looked at her, confused. "You want to draw power from Amara?"

"Not just Amara," Tessa started. "Elena. Katherine."

"Doppelgangers," I guessed. "How are you going to draw power from them?"

"They're powerful, mystical, naturally reoccurring," Tessa explained. "It'll work."

"Then what are we waiting for? Amara's not getting any younger," I said, grabbing Tessa's wrist.

"Wait," She said, and I paused.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm going to need your blood too. And your magic," She said.

"What?" I questioned. "The whole reason I suggested coming to get you was for you to do the stupid spell! I'm not strong enough for that."

"It's good practice," Tessa protested. "Do you want to save your friend or not?"

That was all I needed to say, "Let's go."

* * *

Katherine, Elena, Amara and I surrounded a round table as Tessa placed Bonnie's grimoire on the table.

"What is that?" Amara asked curiously.

"It's Bonnie's grimoire," Elena explained

"A grim...what?" Amara repeated.

"It's a magic spell book," Katherine told her. She rolled her eyes as she mumbled, "Idiot."

I rolled my eyes and nudged Katherine. "What?"

"Be polite. If it weren't for Amara, you wouldn't be alive," I said.

"Whatever you say, JJ," Katherine said.

"It's a tailsman," Tessa continued. "Since Bonnie can't be here, her grimoire will have to do." She gestured to the book. "Hands in, palms up," She commanded.

Amara hesitantly stuck her hand towards Tessa, who roughly grabbed it. She pulled a knife out, and made a cut on Amara's hand, who grimaced.

"I'm sorry love," Tessa said sarcastically as Amara's blood dripped over the book. "Did that hurt?"

"I've been through worse," Is all that Amara said.

Katherine was next. "Easy, okay? I'm fragile these days." She wrapped her hand around the blade, and squeezed so that the blade sliced her hand open. She winced as she let her blood fall on the book.

Elena put her hand out, and Tessa poked a hole in it. Elena was barely affected, the blood dripping down her hand as she gave Katherine a victory smirk.

"Show off," Katherine muttered.

The doppelgangers blood spots formed a triangle, so when I stuck my hand out, Tessa made a gentle cut on my hand, and I tilted it to the side so that my blood would fall in the center.

Once I let enough fall out, Tessa took my non injured hand. "Just speak with me."

"How will I know what to say?" I asked. I never did get a chance to actually look at the spell. I still didn't understand it.

"I'll speak first, and then you just jump in," Tessa suggested. I nodded, and she began. "Ina prankuus sectee gem i Qatarkay Rrasataam. I Patarsay rrasataam," She said, and as soon as she began chanting, our blood formed into interlocked ovals with a circle overlapping it, the spot in the center filled with blood. As all the candles in the room lit themselves, I took a deep breath before chanting along with Tessa, "Ina prankuus sectee gem i Qatarkay Rrasataam. I Patarsay rrasataam."

The candles suddenly went out, and Tessa and I looked at each other in confusion. "_No_," Tessa growled.

"Is it done?" Katherine asked.

"No, it's not done," Tessa scowled. I jumped as the wind suddenly picked up, and leaves began flying into the room from the open window. I gasped as all the lightbulbs in the room suddenly began shattering with a loud 'pop'. Elena and I were confused, Amara looked scared, and Katherine looked more annoyed than anything.

"What the hell is happening?" I shouted over the winds.

"Silas is happening!" Tessa answered. "Show yourself, bastard!" She exclaimed to the winds.

Things just got worse, and all the power in the house finally shut down, the lights flickering off.

"I can't see anything, can you?" Katherine asked me, clearly upset that she no longer had supernatural vision.

The glow of a flashlight illuminated the room, and Damon walked over to us. "The electricity is out in the whole house. What happened?"

"Silas is here," Elena told him.

"Well, Silas owes me a new fuse box." Damon's expression changed as he moved the light from Elena to Katherine. "I only count two doppelgangers. Where's Crazypants?"

"Amara?" I asked, and looked around myself to see if I could catch a glimpse of her. My stomach dropped when I realized that someone else wasn't here either. She wouldn't...not until the spell was done, would she?

"Where's Tessa?" I asked. I didn't wait for an answer as I left the room to start searching the house. My only thought as I fumbled around for a flashlight was that we were lucky we didn't do this spell in Klaus's-I mean my-house.

I finally found a flashlight, and I looked for Tessa everywhere-until I came back to the place where we were doing the spell, and saw her standing with Elena, completing it.

There was blood seeping from her shoulder. My poor friend just couldn't catch a break. "Tessa!" I exclaimed, running for her. "Are you okay?"

"Don't distract her," Elena demanded, and I just gave her a death glare. A friend of mine was _hurt_. Sure, this spell was to bring Bonnie back, but excuse me for trying to be nice and help my friend. Something that Elena should learn.

"Stefan and Amara are not inside," Damon said as he walked into the room.

Elena walked over to him as I walked over to Tessa. "That's because Stefan took her. You have to go find him before he gets himself killed."

"No, he's luring Silas away. This is typical Stefan, he'll be fine," Damon told her.

"He's hurting," Elena said. "He's not thinking right. Silas might have been the one to put him in that safe, but we were the ones that were supposed to get him out." At "we" Elena looked over at me, but when she was done her sentence I said, "That was technically your jobs. I was in a coma all summer; _you_ guys were supposed to be the ones that noticed he was missing."

Elena just ignored me as she pleaded with Damon. "Please? Go find him. We can't lose him again."

"Okay," Damon said, and he quickly left the room as Tessa got closer to finishing her spell.

Tessa lit the grimoire on fire, and it looked like she was almost finished. She stopped, and Elena and I exchanged looks. "Is it done?" Elena asked.

I grabbed her wrist to run over to the living room, where I knew Jeremy was. And where Jeremy was, Bonnie would be. "Let's go find out."

We met Caroline halfway, and the three of us literally stopped in our steps at the sight of a back, with long hair.

Bonnie's hair.

"Bonnie?" I spoke in a broken whisper, tears rushing to my eyes.

"Please tell me this is real," Caroline whispered to herself. I reached over and squeezed her hand.

"It's real, all right," I said.

Bonnie turned around, tears flooding her eyes. "You guys can see me?"

Hearing her speak is all I need for my feet to push me forward, running towards her. "It worked!" I sobbed as I crashed into Bonnie's arms. I could feel Caroline's and Elena's arms around my back as the four of us squeezed each other in a happy group hug.

"Oh my God!" Caroline cried. She pulled back from the hug. "And we can be roommates because we have that extra bed and we can clear out half the closet..."

Bonnie, Elena and I exchanged glances as we said simultaneously, "_Caroline!_"

She just cried again as she covered her eyes. "I'm sorry! I just can't believe you're really here!" Caroline leaned forward and the four of us were in a hug again, squeezing each other, never once letting go.

We weren't letting go again.

* * *

We decided to give Bonnie and Jeremy some privacy, so I went and started cleaning up the room that got destroyed. And that was when I heard Katherine screaming for help, and that someone was dying.

I leaped to my feet, and ran over to where I heard Katherine's voice. "Katherine? Katherine! What's wrong-"

I cut myself off at the sight of Tessa on the ground, blooding pouring from her slit wrists and pooling on the ground. "Tessa, no!"

I fell to the ground next to Katherine and grabbed her arms, putting her in my lap.

"Do something, Juliet!" Katherine pleaded. Why was Katherine so eager to save Tessa?

"I don't know what to do!" I exclaimed. I turned to Tessa, pressing one of my hands to her bleeding wounds. "What do we do?!"

"Nothing," She barely whispered.

"You can't die!" I protested, tears forming for the second time in less than half an hour. "You can't die! You still have so much to teach me, I have so much to learn!"

"You're a Christos Traveler," She breathed. "You'll figure it out." And with that, I could feel her chest go still. Her eyes glazed over, her facial muscles relaxed. And Qetsiyah was no more. Again.

"No!" I shouted. "No! No! No! No!"

I just rocked Tessa's body back and forth. Katherine eventually left when she realized that even if Tessa could be brought back to life, there wasn't a witch around to bring her back. And I certainly wasn't powerful enough for it.

I eventually pulled my phone out of my pocket, and texted Matt that I needed his help, and to bring a shovel. He asked why, but I don't think I texted him back. I just sat with Tessa.

I wasn't sure how long I sat in the pool of Tessa's blood, but I eventually heard footsteps, and looked up to see Damon, holding a shovel. He nodded to Tessa's body. "Her turn."

I just looked back down to her body, using my blood caked hands to smooth her hair back. "She told me so much," I whispered.

"What?" Damon asked, leaning forward.

I slowly looked up to him. "I know that you guys didn't like Tessa. But _I_ did. She was my friend. She gave me answers, answers that nobody else could have possibly had." I hugged her body to my chest. "She deserves more than just a backyard burial."

"Then are you gonna do it?" Damon asked, holding the shovel out to me.

I gave him a glare, snatching the shovel from his grasp. "I already asked Matt to help. You might not have any sympathy, Damon, but I do. You were in Tessa's position a year ago, were you not?"

He didn't say anything as I finally pushed myself off of the ground. The front door opened, and Matt walked in, holding a shovel. He took one look around. "Who are we burying?"

I wiped my nose. "Tessa. Just give me a hand, don't ask questions."

I stole a blanket to put over Tessa's body. Matt lifted Tessa's body as I grabbed the shovels, and the two of us left the boarding house. I found a nice little spot in the forest, and Matt and I started digging. With the two of us, it didn't take as long, so he placed her body in the makeshift grave, and I placed the blanket over her. We put the dirt back over her body, and smoothed it out so that it was nice and even. When we were done, I wanted to just have a minute with Tessa, so Matt went back and waited in the car.

I sat down next to the large stone that Matt and I made Tessa's gravestone. "Hey. I hope you're finally at peace. With Silas. I'm going to miss talking to someone intelligent," I said, managing half a laugh. "I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for finding Stefan, and taking him out of that quarry when Damon, Elena and I couldn't. Thank you for bringing me back to your cabin after I got drunk off my ass and before I could do something I regretted. Well, more than kissing a teacher. Thank you for bringing my best friend back to life. Thank you for teaching me whatever magic you could, believing in me. Thank you for telling me about my family history. Thank you for saving my life. But most importantly, thank you for being my friend. I didn't know who I could trust after I woke up, and I'm kind of glad one of the people ended up being you." I stood up, dusting my pants off. "Rest in peace, Tessa," I whispered softly, before turning around and walking back to Matt's truck.

I felt a sudden coldness at my neck, and I spun around to see what it was. It appeared to be nothing. Maybe with all the ghost and dead peopleness of tonight I just freaked myself out.

"Who was that that we buried?" Matt asked as I buckled myself in.

I paused. "She was my friend. And I hope she's happy."

Unbeknownst to me, Tessa's ghost was actually standing with me, smiling away at what I did for her.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I just thought it'd be nice for Tessa to have a funeral.**

**OKAY! So I am making up a plan for Juliet to visit New Orleans for a quick chapter in this story (though not sure if I'll pick it up) BUT If you want to read about her adventures in New Orleans, you can read The Originals spin off of Ripples of Reality, which is called Bloodshed and Rattles!**

**Juliet's seeing Wes Maxfield next chapter! Ooh, what's going to happen?**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	8. Dead Man on Campus

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Okay, who else is HEARTBROKEN by the Vampire Diaries? I DON'T WANNA SPOIL ANYTHING BUT GOD DAMN THAT FUCKING EPISODE IS GONNA BE SO HARD TO WRITE. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SEEN IT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SCENE I'M TALKING ABOUT. Also, who is completely done after that finale? I have a plan for what I'm gonna do for it, and that's what I'm really looking forward to.

Also just FYI this chapter doesn't deal with the shit going on at Whitmore.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Matty!" I called out as I ran into the Mystic Grill, clutching Tessa's book in my arms. I finally managed to do the research that I promised Matt that I would, and with the help of the book (and a Latin translation book) I figured out that Matt had a Passenger inside of him. Remember, Passengers? They're Travelers that can hitch rides inside of other people.

I had been by myself all day, since Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie went back to Whitmore. I told them that I just needed another couple of days before I was ready to face Wes again, and even though Caroline threatened me, I stood my ground and said that I was staying (I also may have threatened her with my new Traveler powers too).

I ran up to the bar, where Matt was serving Katherine. I dumped the book on top of the counter. "I know what's wrong with you." I flipped the book open, and pointed to the Passenger spell. "You have a Passenger inside of you. A Passenger is a Traveler that can possess the body of someone, and eventually take over the body once the body of the Traveler has been destroyed."

Katherine gave me a look. "Sorry, JJ. You're a bit late. I just told Matt all of that."

My shoulders slumped. "So I just spent my whole morning doing a bunch of stupid research for nothing?"

"Not for nothing," Matt said, trying to help me feel better.

"Yes, for nothing," Katherine retorted.

I groaned. "Great. If you need me, I'll be over in the corner." I pushed myself away from the counter, grabbing my book and putting it down at an empty table. I sighed as I sat down, opening it so that I could do more reading. I was pulling my translation book out from my bag, when someone sat across from me.

"Want a drink?" Katherine asked me, holding up the bottle of alcohol she obviously stole.

"No," I said. "I do not want a repeat of the last time I got drunk. Have one for me, though."

She pouted. "Come on. Please? I've had a really bad..._year_, and right now, I just want a friend."

I put my elbows on the table as Katherine gave me puppy eyes. I groaned. Puppy eyes always worked with me whenever Elena did them, and this girl was a carbon copy of her. "One drink."

Katherine smiled in triumph as I opened the Latin book. "Why do you have that book?" She asked, pouring me the drink.

I grabbed the shot glass from her. "Well, as you might know, Latin is not my native language. The only way I've been reading the spell book is with this one."

I knocked back the shot as Katherine said, "It might not be _your_ language, but it was your mother's tongue. She must have spoken a lot of Latin at home."

"I wouldn't know, my mother died when I was like, three, and Miranda and Grayson raised me. And they're not Latin, nor did Miranda give birth to me," I said.

"Oh yeah, that," She said, biting her lip. "Whatever. Latin is still in your blood. It's still wired in your brain," She told me. "Look at the book."

"What?" I asked her.

"Just do it."

I looked down at the Latin words, though they still didn't make sense to me. "It's still all Latin."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Then you're not _looking_. _Really_ look at them. Concentrate on nothing but the book."

I gave her a look. "Give me a break."

"Seriously, JJ. Just do it."

I rolled my eyes, but looked down at the book. I tried to zone out everyone and everything that I can hear, letting my eyes wrap around the words. I closed my eyes, the markings still fresh in my brain. I embedded them in my eyes, and when I opened them again, all the words made sense to me. It was like when I opened my eyes, the words translated into English.

I gasped. "Oh my God, it worked! It worked!" I looked up at Katherine, who had a smile on her face.

"I told you," She said, taking another shot.

I couldn't stop myself from leaning forward and pulling her into a big hug. "Thank you, Katherine! Thank you thank you thank you!"

"You're...welcome," She said slowly, very surprised by the hug. "I guess."

I pulled back, a beaming smile on my face as I shoved the translation book back into my bag. "I do not need this book anymore!"

"That's great," Katherine said, and then she quickly went serious. "I need your help."

"Name it," I responded.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Really? You're agreeing to help that fast?"

"You just helped me," I pointed out. "I owe you one."

She shrugged. "Whatever. I need you to call up Stefan. We need him too."

"Why?" I asked.

"I thought you never wanted to see me again," A heavily accented voice said, and when I turned around, I immediately flinched when I recognized her as the Czech woman who attacked us at the bar when we were looking for Stefan.

I whipped my head so that I was looking at Katherine again. "What's she doing here?"

"You two know each other?" Katherine asked, clearly surprised.

"Don't you remember?" I asked her. I pointed at the girl with my thumb. "Don't you remember her as the girl that went after you back at that bar when we looked for Stefan?"

Katherine's eyes lit up. "Right! Right." She stood up, and walked over to Czech girl. All the while, I looked at her in disbelief. Didn't this girl try to kill Katherine?

"Then why is she here?" I asked Katherine.

"You two haven't formally met," was all that Katherine said. "Nadia, this is JJ. Or, Juliet," Katherine said to the Czech woman, or, Nadia. "JJ, this is Nadia Petrova." She gritted her teeth as she said the next part, "My daughter."

* * *

I had Katherine explain the story to me at least five times. I didn't remember reading the part about Katherine having a baby in my diaries, but it all made sense after she told me. Apparently, she turned into a crazy bitch after Nadia was ripped out of her arms as soon as she was born. And I felt bad for Katherine. But if you tell her that she'd kick my ass.

Anyways, then she explained what she needed Stefan's help for, and she said that it had to do with Matt. As soon as she mentioned Matt's name, I was dialing Stefan's number. I quickly told him that I needed his help, and after a slight protest from his side, I threatened to melt his brain into mush unless he helped us.

He made it to the Grill, and Katherine led us into some sort of storage closet, where no one could see us. Now, all that was left was for Matt to come back with some knife that he was talking about.

It was me, Stefan, Katherine, and Nadia standing in the closet, as the two of them readjusted their clothes. Huh. Like mother, like daughter, I supposed.

Okay, the whole daughter thing was really creeping me out.

"Just out of morbid curiosity," Stefan started. "Which one of you is younger?"

"I am," they both instantly said, and Nadia gave her mother a look.

Stefan and I both looked at each other, unsure of what to say next. "Right," He finally said.

We were both saved when Matt walked into the room, holding up the knife. "Okay, so here's the knife that the Traveler left behind with me. Now what are we doing in here?"

Katherine took the knife from Matt. "Take a seat, Matt," She said, and Matt did as she asked.

Knife in hand, she turned to Nadia, gesturing to Matt. Nadia rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous," She muttered, and stepped forward.

"Wait!" Katherine said. Nadia stopped, and turned to face Katherine, who was now facing me. "Let JJ do it."

My jaw dropped. "Me?"

"Does she even know the spell?" Nadia asked, annoyed.

Oh hell no, nobody used that tone with me.

"As a matter of fact, I _do_ know the spell," I sneered. I read all about it when I learned about Travelers. I learned the spell when you put yourself into a person's body, and I learned the spell on how to call the person out.

"Then be my guest," Nadia said, stepping away from Matt.

I could feel Stefan's eyes on me as I walked over to stand where Nadia was standing. She was still standing next to me though, wanting to be there for when the Traveler wakes up. Now that Katherine put me on the spot, and me, being me, was pissed when someone doubted me, I felt like I had to do this right.

Matt looked a little freaked when Nadia was about to do it, but he seemed more relaxed when Katherine suggested that I do it. I gave him an encouraging smile as I placed my left hand on his cheek, and said the spell. "_Vite_," I enchanted, which, according to the book, translates into "Come forth", which means that the Traveler in the body was to wake up and take over the host body.

Matt closed his eyes, then opened them, black covering his whole eyeballs. Then he closed them again, and when he opened them again, his eyes were normal.

But it wasn't Matt.

"What the hell was that?" Stefan asked.

"She's calling on Matt's Passenger," Katherine explained before I could.

I moved out of the way as Matt asked Nadia something in Czech. She soothingly replied something back. Matt's eyes traveled over to Katherine, and he quickly stood up.

"Whoa whoa," Stefan said, grabbing his arm to pull him back. "Easy." Stefan pushed Matt back down into his seat, putting both hands on his shoulders. "Easy."

"Hello, Gregor," Katherine smirked as she walked over to stand beside Nadia. "I'm Nadia's mother. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"What do you want?" Matt, or Gregor, rather, asked.

"Here's the thing," Katherine started, wrapping her arm around Nadia. "Nadia's my only child. So naturally, I'm suspicious of anyone who wants to date her." Unwrapping herself from her daughter, Katherine demanded, "Why don't you tell us the real reason you're in Mystic Falls?"

"To track and kill Silas," Gregor answered.

Um, you're kind of late, buddy.

"Oh," Katherine said. "So it has absolutely nothing to do with this?" She asked, holding up the knife that Matt had. I finally had a better look at it, and almost gasped out loud when I saw what it was.

It was a Passenger knife.

It was the only thing that is known that can make a Passenger leave the host's body. Drive it into their chest, they die. The host, however, remained unharmed.

Gregor's face dropped. "How did you get that?" He asked as he stood up. He was about to step towards Katherine, but Stefan didn't let him get too far. He grabbed Gregor by the shoulders and said, "I'd much rather be getting drunk right now, so why don't you stop wasting our time and tell us what you're doing here?"

Katherine devilishly smiled as she walked over to Gregor, unsheathing the knife before holding it to Gregor's throat.

"Fine," He spat. "After Silas was dead, I was meant to kill _her_," He said, looking straight at Katherine.

She slightly faltered, but didn't let it show. "I didn't see that one coming," She said.

"You were using me to get to her?" Nadia asked him, very clearly offended. I would be too. "Why? Why would you kill her?"

"That's what the Travelers want," Gregor said. "And I don't question my orders."

Travelers? "Wait, there are other Travelers in the area?" I asked him.

His eyes moved over to look at me. "Would you look at that? It's Eumelia Christos."

So not only did Gregor know me, he knew my birth name. "How do you know my birth name?" I asked him. I didn't even know I had a birth name until a few weeks ago.

"You're a Christos Traveler," He said. "Everyone knows your name."

_Everyone_? I thought as my stomach dropped. This was bad.

"See why I don't want you dating my daughter?" Katherine told him. "Because Travelers are ruthless, manipulative, hypocrites." She brought the knife away from Gregor's throat as she nodded her head to Nadia. "I know, because her grandfather was one." And without so much as a warning, she drove the knife right into Matt's stomach.

Nadia gasped, but I wasn't all that worried, because I knew what the knife did. Matt wasn't hurt.

Stefan put Matt back on to the chair as Nadia caressed his face in horror. "What did you just do?" Stefan asked.

"Give it a rest. Matt will be fine," Katherine said. "Gregor on the other hand, not so much." She played with the knife in her hands. "I just expelled his spirit. There's a reason that the Travelers wanted this knife so badly. It's the only thing that will truly kill a Passenger."

Nadia could only give her mother a look that could only mean, "How could you?".

"Well, this just got really awkward, really fast," I started. "So I'm just gonna go."

"I am too," Stefan said.

We each grabbed one of Matt's arms to get him out of the storage closet.

* * *

It was a good thing that the Grill was crowded tonight, because I needed a distraction.

This time though, I steered _very clear_ of the alcohol. I did not want a repeat of the last time I had gotten drunk.

Luckily for me, I found someone who could help me stay away from alcohol.

Stefan.

I told him all about the Wes incident, and he promised that he could help me out in anyway. So I asked him to be my sober sponsor so that I never make mistakes with alcohol ever again.

But when I found him, it looked like he was internally spazzing out. "Stefan?" I called as I walked over to him, trying to get his attention. "Stefan," I tried again when I made it to his side. "Stefan!" I said as I touched his shoulder.

He broke out of whatever trance he was in. "Juliet?" He said when he saw that it was me.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. He didn't answer me, but he looked down at his hand. My eyes traveled to where his were, and I gasped when I saw that he had crushed the shot glass he was holding in his hand, and the glass shards embedded themselves into his hand.

"Oh my God," I breathed. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer again as he shoved me out of the way. Stefan was strong, and I was caught off guard, so I went flying into some guy's arms, who caught me before I fell. I vaguely heard him ask me if I was okay, but I pushed myself off of him as I went after Stefan.

He was taking a back exit, and I had just caught the door before it shut. "Stefan, what the hell?"

"Juliet, get out of here," He insisted as he went down the stairs.

"No!" I refused, following him. "What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

I could see his body getting frigid, as if he was trying to control his anger. What was wrong with him? "Stefan, whatever it is, you're okay. You're going to be okay. I can help-"

I was cut off when Stefan used his vampire speed to rush at me, grabbing my throat with his hand and choking me, hard. "No, you can't!"

"Stefan," I choked out. "Calm do-down."

"I can't!" He shouted, gripping my throat harder.

I tried as desperately as I could to breathe, but it was getting harder. "Stefan, I can't breathe," I tried telling him. He got this far off look on his face, the same one he had on inside. Looking into his eyes, it was like I could see the hurt, confusion, _trauma_ going on in his head.

That's it! Stefan wasn't going crazy. He had post traumatic stress disorder. It all made sense. Being locked in a safe for three months and dying over and over again could definitely do that to a person. He lived through a traumatic experience, and now he had all the free time in the world to relive the moment over and over and over again.

Oh man, what did I learn in my psychology class about people with PTSD? It was getting harder to think due to my lack of oxygen. I could use my magic, but what good what that do? I guess for me, I'd be breathing properly again, but that wasn't going to help Stefan. I didn't want him going through any _more_ pain. I just had to help him get through it. But how?

All while I was racking my brain, it was like I could breathe better, but when I stopped thinking, the pain from all over my body came flooding back in. I was distracting myself from my pain when I was thinking. Maybe that's what I could do with Stefan!

What do I do to distract him?

"Stef...an," I spluterred. "What's your...nick...nickname...for...me?"

That was the best I can do?

"What...is it?" I managed to get out when he didn't respond. His eyes clouded over as he began to think of the name. "You know it. You've...been calling me it...for two years. Don't...tell me that two years...of friendship is going...to go...to waste."

It looked like the memory was finally coming back to him as he said, "Cap...Capulet."

I nodded my head the best I could with his hand on my neck. I could start seeing dark spots, and I grabbed his arm, squeezing it as hard as I could. I guess I was trying to transfer my pain to him, but it didn't really work like that, did it? "And my...my nickname...for...you?"

He hesitated. "Focus," I said. "Focus on the name, Stefan."

"Romeo...Montague..." He answered.

"Right," I gasped. "Look me...in the...eyes. You're not drown...drowning. You're not...in that safe. I'm...I'm with...you."

I could tell Stefan was trying to get it under control, but he was struggling. I have to keep trying. "What are the names...I'd give to...my kids?" I asked him. Random, I know. But when I asked Stefan how I knew I could trust him, he told me the names that I had picked for my children when I was a kid. And he knew them.

"Focus..." I told him as calmly as I could. It was a miracle I was being calm, with how I could die any minute from now. "You can...do this. Tell...me."

"Emily Vivienne," He managed. "Elliott...Owen."

I knew I picked good names. They sounded even better coming from Stefan. After saying Elliott's middle name, he finally let go of me. As he turned away from me, I desperately gasped for air, the blood that had stopped circulating because of Stefan was flowing naturally again.

He was breathing just as heavily as I was. I reached for my neck, feeling the welts that will most likely turn into bruises. When I pulled my hand back, they had a bit of blood on them, but I quickly remember that it was Stefan's, because he grabbed my throat with his bloody hand.

"Thank you," He told me, trying to regain his breath.

"Any time," I answered, rubbing my throat.

* * *

"I thought that killing Silas would help me to move on with my life," Stefan explained to me fifteen minutes later. The Grill had cleared out, so there were only a few people, excluding the two of us, left. Katherine and Nadia were no where to be found. "I was wrong. I spent my summer locked in a safe. One minute I think I'm fine, the next I feel like I'm dying all over again."

"Sounds like PTSD to me," I confirmed. "But that's only what I've learned from my psychology class. And even then I don't pay attention much."

"I just," Stefan started. "I wanted to apologize for almost killing you back there."

I shrugged. "It's okay. You're going through some pretty rough stuff. I don't blame you. That could have been me just as easily as it was you."

"What do you mean?" He asked. "You weren't locked in a safe."

"No," I agreed. "But, I was nearly sucked dry by the same Immortal being that locked you in a safe. I fell into a coma, and when I woke up, I had no memories of the past two years, where I apparently missed _a lot_." I smirked at him. "Sound traumatizing to you?"

He smiled back. "Fine, it does. But you have to admit, mine is worse than yours."

"I am not denying that," I said as Stefan finished his drink.

"Let's go home," He suggested.

"Yeah," I responded, sliding off of the bar stool. "I have to get ready to go back to school."

"Why aren't you at school?" He asked as I grabbed my jacket.

"I made out with a teacher, remember?" I told him. "I have so much shame that you could swim in a pool of-"

I trailed off when I noticed the top of a bill, with the words "Dear Nadia" on the top of it. Well, I only knew one Nadia. And if this was the person that I think it was, they did too.

I opened the book that the bill was tucked into, and picked it up. There was a letter scribbled on the back of it.

"What is it?" Stefan asked, but I didn't reply as I read over it.

"Oh my God," I whispered. I didn't want to go over the details, but basically, Katherine was dying of old age, and Katherine being Katherine, wanted no one but herself to off her. And after being chased by a hybrid for five hundred years, cheating death over and over again, I didn't blame her. But I couldn't let her do this.

"What?" Stefan asked again.

I spun around on my heel, shoving the letter into my pocket. "Long story short-Katherine's trying to kill herself, and we have to stop her," I said, running past him and out of the Grill.

"Why do we have to stop her?" He asked as he followed me.

"Because Katherine is taking the easy way out, and we can't let her," I told him, looking all around me.

"Why?"

"Because of what her death will do," I said, stopping to face him. "Katherine has a child that is in her life now. She has a responsibility. She's abandoned them in the past, but I am _not_ going to let her this time."

"Why not?" He asked me.

I growled. "Because, Stefan! She doesn't get to do that! She doesn't get to throw her life away, now that she has a real purpose to live it. So either help me look for her before she leaves this world forever, or leave me alone so that I can find her."

I turned around and started running again, when I heard the wind rush fast beside me. "I know where she is," He told me.

"Great," I said. "Where?"

Stefan grabbed my arms, pulling me to him. My arms automatically wrapped around his neck, and my face was just inches apart from his. My heart was pounding erratically as I struggled to breathe.

"It'll be faster if you hold on to my back," He said. "I can run faster."

"Okay," I said slowly, before going around him. "Just please don't say what Edward Cullen did in the Twilight movie," I said, jumping on his back.

"I won't, don't worry," He said, and I wrapped my arms around his neck and clutched, hard.

I closed my eyes, and a couple minutes later, we were by the big clock tower in town. And a person was just stepping off of it.

"Catch her, Stefan!" I told him, and he flashed forward, saving Katherine before she hit the ground.

I ran right over to them, and Stefan was putting her down. "Katherine!" I called out for her, and she turned around when she heard my voice.

"JJ?" She said.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, wrapping my arms around her once I reached her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She answered, going rigid at my hug.

I pulled back from her. "Thank God." And then I lifted my hand, and smacked her right across the face.

"Julie!" Stefan protested as Katherine rubbed her face.

"What was that for?" She asked me, her hand still on her face.

"For trying to kill yourself, a) without telling your kid and b) trying to run away from life," I said. "Listen to me, Katherine. I had six parents. Two were my birth parents, two were my adoptive, and then my legal guardians, my aunt Jenna, and this really awesome guy named Alaric. They _all_ died. And if Nadia lost you, then I'd know how she'd feel. Hurt. Angry. At you, the world, herself. She'd question for the rest of her vampiric existence, what she could have done differently. Even if your death has nothing to do with her, she'll blame herself. And you'd get what you want, which is selfish," I lectured, stepping closer to her. "But you don't get it, do you? Your death would have more negative impacts than positive on her. This isn't about you anymore. This is about the fact that you have a daughter, who is alive, now. Didn't you say that one of the things that impacted you was the fact that your newborn was ripped out of your arms?" I asked her, but she remained quiet. "You should be rejoicing at the fact that your child spent five hundred years of her life looking for you." I took a deep breath. "I have a broken family. I know that you do too. But don't break Nadia's anymore than it already is."

Katherine looked about ready to cry at this point. "Do you know why I tried to do it?" She asked. "I'm dying, Juliet. I'm dying of old age. I don't know. The Cure did something to speed up the _entire_ mortifying process."

"Yeah? Well guess what," I started. "You're the elusive, selfish, manipulative Katherine Pierce," I said. "That's life. Get used to it."

I pushed past her, and I could hear Stefan following behind me. "Was that really necessary?"

I stopped walking, and I turned around to see that Katherine had already left. "No, no it wasn't," I admitted. "But I guess, I got so angry. Nadia did nothing wrong. She just loved her mother. I don't know her, but nobody deserves that. I lost six parents. Nadia's lost one. But while Katherine Pierce is still a real piece of work, I think that she could somehow be redeemed. The only respect that Katherine Pierce truly deserves is her daughters. Nadia shouldn't be deprived of that."

Stefan slowly smiled as he wrapped his arm around me. I leaned into his side as the two of us started walking home. "You are one kind hearted person, Juliet Gilbert."

I smiled as we walked, but then what happened earlier crept back into my mind, and I started getting a little worried.

It must have shown on my face, because Stefan asked, "Are you okay?"

"There was something that Gregor said that bothered me," I told him, and we stopped walking.

"What?"

"If all the Travelers that are in Mystic Falls know who I am," I started. "How much trouble am I in?"

* * *

**TBC...**

**I wanted a chapter for Juliet and Stefan's relationship to grow more, and to be honest, there wouldn't be much for Juliet to do at Whitmore this episode, anyways. And this was more fun!**

**Now I have a question for you guys:**

**I'm conflicted over who should be the one to help Stefan with his PTSD: Juliet, or Katherine. I could get away with it this episode, but next episode eventually lead to a kiss between Stefan and Katherine. Should it still be Katherine to help him, or Juliet? **

**If you tell me, I can get the chapter up faster!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	9. The Cell

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **So I have come to a decision on what to do! Oh, no I'm not telling you what it is. You'll have to read and find out :)

ALSO I'M AT 84 FOLLOWERS AND I'M CRYING

SIXTEEN AWAY FROM 100.

YOU ARE ALL TOO FABULOUS FOR WORDS.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Katherine growled as she ripped out the page from the diary that Stefan gave her and crumpled it up. "What kind of sentimental idiot writes down everything they feel?" She asked, throwing the now crumpled ball behind her.

I rolled my eyes as I tucked my legs under me. Ever since I expressed my worry to Stefan about the Travelers, he said that he would do anything to protect me. And anything included watching over me every second of the day until I was safe. I would have been okay with it.

If he hadn't decided to baby sit Katherine the Whiner.

Why did I insist on saving her life, again?

"Is this what the prophecy meant when it said that all the doppelgängers were drawn together like magnets? Because if it is, I want my money back," Katherine said.

I felt my stomach drop down to my feet. The doppelgänger prophecy. I haven't thought about it once since Tessa mentioned it, because everything has been so crazy. But now that I thought about it, the more helpless I felt. I mean, I couldn't go up against the universe. It wasthe _universe_. But I knew that by Damon and Elena being together, they're trying to fight the prophecy, but it was a prophecy. Most of the time they came true.

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't slit your wrists," Stefan told Katherine.

"Well, this whole neurotic granny vibe, doesn't exactly make me want to live," Katherine said, gesturing to herself. "Do you really have nothing better to do than stand there all day and watch me write in cursive?"

"I'm trying to make sure you don't kill yourself," Stefan assured her.

"And how are you going to do that?" Katherine challenged. "You know, since you're still having your little panic attacks?"

Stefan's face went stony. "I'm fine," He told her.

"Yeah. Of course," Katherine said with an eye roll. "You are the picture of mental health, Stefan, after being locked for three months in a safe, at the bottom of a quarry."

"I am dealing with it," He said.

"Sorry to interrupt destiny at work," I grumbled. What? Katherine wasn't doing a very good job at comforting Stefan. Well, nicely. "But Stefan, do you call breaking two chairs 'dealing with it'?" I asked him, and he avoided my gaze.

"JJ's right," Katherine agreed. "How are you supposed to help me stay alive if you can't even help yourself?"

"So does this mean you want to live?" Stefan asked.

Katherine shook her head. "No. It means I can't work with people who can't give me 100%."

A knock at the door alerted us that someone was at the house, and I knew who it is. It was my blonde best friend, who Katherine and I called for back up. Honestly, I only agreed to help Katherine because I seriously liked the chairs in the Salvatore house.

And to help Stefan, of course.

"And so, I may have called for backup," Katherine said. She quickly pointed at me. "JJ gave me the number, though."

Stefan just eyed us as he went over to the front door. I got up to follow him, because in all honesty, there was nothing else to do. And I wanted to see what Caroline had in mind when she said that she had an idea to help Stefan. Knowing Caroline it was going to be something really outrageous and crazy and...

I stopped in the middle of the hallway as I saw Caroline dragging inside the house the safe that Stefan spent three months drowning in. "Stupid," I muttered the last idea out loud.

Caroline brought it into the library as Stefan stared at it as if it was going to kill him, which it very well could, mentally. "I spent 3 months drowning in this thing. What the hell were you thinking?" He spat.

"I was thinking it's time for you to deal with the source of your PTSD," Caroline told him earnestly.

"And you're sure you're not just sublimating your feelings about what happened to Jesse last night?" Stefan asked her.

"Wait, what happened to Jesse last night?" I broke in. Was he okay?

Caroline whipped around to face me. "Oh, your sister didn't tell you? She killed Jesse last night."

My stomach and jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"She was trying to save Damon," Stefan supplied. "He was feeding off of him."

"But I thought that vampires fed off of humans, and the occassional animal?" I asked, the animal part mostly referring to Stefan.

"It's a long story," Caroline said to me. "Which I promise I'll explain later. We're getting off topic." She turned back to face Stefan. "_You're_ getting off topic."

"Aren't you a drama major?" Stefan asked her. "What do you know about PTSD?"

"Well, Jules is taking a psychology class," Caroline pointed out, turning to face me. "Jules? What do you think?"

Oh God, why drag me into this? "Listen, I wanna help Stefan as much as you do Caroline, but I don't even know what you have planned! Some people just get over PTSD, some people need years of therapy to just _deal_ with having it, and then some people face it head on..."

I trailed off as Caroline smirked, walking over to the safe and opening it. "We tried it _your_ way, Stefan, but that didn't exactly work. Now, we're gonna try it my way."

Stefan stared at the open safe and then at Caroline. Then, he looked over to me. "What do you think, Jules?"

I shuffled my feet before looking back at Stefan. "You've tried the other tactics, Stefan. You tried getting over it, and that didn't end well for you or your chairs. I don't think you're willing to go through therapy." I crossed my arms. "As long as we can keep the situation under control, then I think Caroline's idea is a good one."

Stefan didn't need much convincing after that. I felt kind of good inside, because Stefan would usually have put up a fight, but after listening to what I said, he got into the safe, and Caroline locked it.

Then, Caroline pulled out a textbook. Closer inspection revealed it to be _my_ textbook, which Caroline had probably swiped from under my bed at the dorm.

"Caroline! Do you even know what you're doing?" Stefan asked, his voice choking up.

"Yes," She responed. 'Well, it's in Jules's textbook."

I rolled my eyes, going over to her. "Give me that." I plucked the book out of her hands, and began flipping through the pages. "It's my textbook, I'll find it."

I completely forgot that Katherine was here, so I jumped a little when she spoke up. "Have you two ever, um - ahem - you know?" Katherine stared directly at me, looking between me and the safe.

Confused, I looked over to Caroline to see if she had any idea what Katherine was talking about. She was just as clueless as I was. "Not really," I answered.

"Oh, come on, you know," Katherine said, giving a suggestive smirk, looking between me and the safe again. "Have you?"

And I wanted to crash and burn.

My face burned hotly as I finally understood what she was saying, and I shook my head. "Katherine, what the hell?"

"That wasn't exactly a yes or a no," Katherine commented as she sat down on the couch.

"We haven't," I told her, trying my best not to sound disappointed. I thought I did pretty well.

Katherine shrugged. "Your loss. He's great in bed."

"So is Elijah, isn't he?" I couldn't help but throw back in her face. Diary-Juliet was very scarred to learn of Elijah and Katherine's brief affair, especially since Elijah was apparently a gentlemen, and a lady, Katherine was not. Again, no one embarrassed Juliet Gilbert and got away with it.

The smirk on Katherine's face disappeared as it turned into growl. "You and Elijah-?"

I shook my head. "Nope, but Klaus and I did," I told her. Diary-Julie was _very_ descriptive. And an alcoholic.

Katherine screwed up her face. "Oh God, I did _not_ need to hear that," She groaned.

I smiled as I felt Caroline take the textbook out of my hands. "Great! Then my plan worked."

"Here!" Caroline suddenly exclaimed. She called out to the safe. "Okay, Stefan. Prolonged Exposure Therapy. 'In vivo exposure gradually introduces elements of prior trauma, e.g. physical objects, comma, certain aspects of duress, comma-'"

I winced as I heard Stefan's breaths getting raggeder. Caroline and Katherine started arguing, but I wasn't paying attention because I was way too focused on Stefan. I picked up my textbook, and walked over to the safe, crouching down to where the small cracks were.

"Still with us?" I whispered to him.

I got heavy breathing as a response, and banging on the safe walls as another.

"Good to know," I muttered, pushing myself off of the safe and sitting down next to it. I opened the book again, riffling through it before realizing that it had nothing else to tell me. I was going to have to rely on myself. This was where your time in class was going to come in handy, Jules.

Katherine and Caroline's arguing wasn't helping me focus. I overheard some stuff about how Caroline talking to Stefan as if she was a teacher wasn't helping, and that waswhen I decided to butt in. "Just stop!" I finally exploded, and the two of them turned to face me. "Guys, your arguing isn't doing anything productive."

"It's not like _you're_ doing anything productive," Katherine argued.

I growled as I stood up. "I'm thinking, unlike you two."I took a deep breath. "Okay, Caroline is right," I started, and rolled my eyes at Caroline giving Katherine a victory smirk. "But, Katherine's right too." Katherine gave Caroline the same smirk that Caroline gave to Katherine, and I rolled my eyes at the two of them again. "Caroline is right because Stefan _does_ need to get to the bottom of what is causing the PTSD and conquer it, because the other methods are clearly not working. But Katherine's right too, because we don't want to over complicate things more than we already have. We need to take this as slowly as we can, so we can properly think about his problem and process it." I pointed to the safe. "Sticking him inside of the safe that he drowned in isn't going to do anything unless we can help him through it."

"Then what do you propose we do, Dr. Gilbert?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms.

I clasped my hands together, bringing them to the bridge of my nose. It was a bad habit that I picked up from my dad, who would always do iy whenever he was trying to work something out, whether it be something regarding a patient, or just trying to repaint a room in our house.

I didn't have my memories, but my diaries were the second best thing. What was the one thing that they have repeatedly said about Stefan? "Stefan...is his own worst enemy," I started, and Katherine and Caroline waited for me to go on. "He's the sav_er_, he doesn't need sav_ing_. He's Mystic Falls's hero. Who do you call in to save the superhero?" I asked the last part to myself, beginning to pace. What else had Stefan done?

I knew that Stefan had this period in his life where he was a ripper, meaning that he just drank human blood like crazy and couldn't stop himself. I also knew that his best friend, Lexi, always helped him get out of whatever messes he got himself into. Or, at least she _did_. She died on Stefan's birthday a couple years ago.

"Stefan...can't come through for himself," I said. "When he was on his ripper binge, he couldn't control himself, right?" I asked, and Caroline and Katherine nodded. "Well, when Elena turned off her humanity, who was there to help her turn it back on and deal with her feelings?"

"Stefan," Caroline answered.

I smiled. "Right. That means that he comes through for everyone else." An idea formed in my head, and it was a crazy one. "I think I know who to call to save this superhero."

* * *

Caroline very nearly killed me when I told her my idea. It took a while, but I managed to convince her that my idea was a good one, and that if I needed help I'd just scream. But I had magic, I could take care of myself.

So Caroline opened up the safe that Stefan was in, and I crawled in right next to him. He was unconscious, so my best guess was that he started having a panic attack and passed out. At least I was able to slip in undetected.

Beside me, Stefan started stirring, and I braced myself for his reaction. "Hey there, Stranger," I said casually, turning on my side so that Stefan had more room. "Please don't be mad at me."

He looked all around him, realizing that he was still in the safe. I caught sight of his eyes, and he looked slightly disoriented.

"I clearly don't remember, but remember how you used to tell me all of my ideas were bad ones, and I'd tell you to back off and that my ideas _aren't_ bad?" I asked him. "This idea isn't a bad one. I got in here when you were knocked out, and then Caroline locked us in. It was the only way. Oh, and don't blame Caroline."

I guess he finally noticed that a fragile (sort of) human (again, sort of) was lying down next to him, and he started frantically hitting the roof of the safe. "Let me out of here! Caroline!"

"I know it's a little extreme, but the baby steps approach wasn't working!" Caroline's muffled voice called out.

"Stefan, just breathe," I coached. "I need you not to get mad at me and stay calm. Because when you get mad, you get anxious and violent and you rip people's heads off, which is why I'm slightly worried. But don't worry, we're gonna get through this."

Stefan completely ignored me, banging on the safe again. "Caroline, get me out of here before I hurt her!"

"You seem to be missing the point," I said casually, as if my life wasn't hanging in the balance. "Stefan, by me being in here, I'm helping you get over your PTSD triggers, because if you don't you'll kill me. And you're _Stefan_, you don't like to kill."

Stefan was breathing heavily now, even more than before. "You're risking your life," He gasped.

I shrugged slightly. "How many times have you risked your life for me, Stefan? I can't even count! Besides, the whole point of me being here was for you to protect me from the Travelers, even _if_ they're not even a threat to me. Let me help you for once."

His breathing was getting worse. "I can't be in here. Please," He begged.

"Remember how I said that I couldn't go back to Whitmore, not just yet?" I asked him, laying down on my back. "Well, if we can get through this, I'll go back, which is what you want. You want me to be a happy college girl."

"No, no, no," Stefan muttered anxiously.

Sarcasm was the only thing keeping me calm right now. "Really? When did your views change?"

Caroline's slap happy voice called out, "How's it going in there?"

"Just great!" I shouted back. "I'm coming back to Whitmore!"

Stefan's breathing was getting worse. "I feel- I feel- I feel like I'm dying."

"Doesn't everybody?" I asked him. "Because technically, humans are dying every day of their lives as they grow old."

Stefan didn't answer, he just hit the safe again as he groaned.

"You know, I've been thinking," I started. "This doppelganger prophecy that's been going around? Do you think there's any truth to it?"

No answer again, so I just kept going.

"You were in love with Katherine, she's Amara's doppelganger," I said, a little pitifully. "You were in love with Elena, she's Amara's doppelganger too. And you know what?" I leaned over a little, even though I'm dangerously close to getting hit by Stefan's arms thrashing about. "I think Katherine's still in love with you. She's always been in love with you. The only thing? You're still in love with Elena." I looked him up and down, laying my head in my arms. "Do you think that one day, you could love somebody else? Even though destiny is telling you otherwise? Because I think you're ready. I mean, look at Damon and Elena. They're trying to fight destiny." I cautiously lifted my hand to touch his shoulder. "What you're going through right now is hardly destiny, Stefan. It's a distraction. You're trying to distract yourself from the pain of Elena choosing your brother over you. You can beat this."

And just like last night, Stefan's hands went right around my neck, choking me hard. "I'm going to kill you," He growled.

I nodded slightly. "Channeling...anger. That's good too," I gasped. "I get that...you don't want to talk, Stefan. But you...can't avoid this...forever. So stop being such...a coward, and face...your...problems."

His grip tightened on my throat. "Any reason why you chose to have this conversation with me locked in a safe?"

"Because I'm noticing what you're failing to!" I growled. "This stupid..._safe_, is _not_ your problem!"

"How could you say that to me?" He asked.

"Because the Stefan Salvatore that I know is not a coward," I choked. I was starting to get light headed, but that wasn't going to stop me. "You're not facing the real problem, here. The pain of being locked in this safe, dying over and over again for three months? It's easier for you to think about the physical pain rather than the emotional pain of Elena picking Damon over you, and how the two of them weren't the ones that found you when you got out of the safe." I swallowed my fears. "You know what your problem is? You lose touch with reality. You lose it when you think about what happened, when you slip into a panic attack, even right how." And now it was time for Juliet's stupid move for the day, though I was pretty sure that I already used my stupid move for the day already. "Let's bring you back to the present." I tilted my head so that my neck is exposed to Stefan, the veins in my throat popping up. "In this moment, you've got two options. Are you going to feed on me or are you gonna save my life?"

Stefan's facewas dangerously close to my neck, but I was confident that Stefan was going to restrain himself. I believed in him.

I tilted my head slightly so that I could look at Stefan, who was slowly withdrawing from me. The veins from under his eyes disappear as his hold on my loosened, though he doidn't take his hands away.

I fixed my head so that I was looking right at him. He was looking down, trying to control himself. "I'm sorry, Stefan," I told him. "I am so sorry that I let Silas push you into this safe, and into that quarry. I should have known that Silas was going to pull something. I am sorry that I couldn't understand what you were going through personally, but I'm doing the best I can. I want to help you, Stefan." I gently put my hands on his cheeks, lifting his head up so that he was looking at me, right into my eyes. "You have to let me help you."

I could still see the pain in his eyes, so I softly stroked his cheeks as I said, "You can fight this, Stefan. This isn't you. I am right here," I assured him. "I am here with you. You are not under water. You are not drowning. I know that because I need air to breathe. If I was under water, I'd be dying, and not talking." He was still struggling with it. Time to try a different tactic. "Can you hear my heart beat, Stefan?"

A noise from him, and I think that it was a yes. "Listen to it. Count them." I waited a second. "That's the sound of your best friend's heart beat. The sound that tells you that there is a living, breathing person that cares about what you are going through and wants to help you."

I think it was working. Stefan's started calming down. I didn't take my hands off of his face, though. I felt like they're glued to his cheeks. "What's your nickname for me?" I asked him.

This time he didn't hesitate as he answered, "Capulet."

Without either of us noticing, our faces started leaning towards the other person's. I wasn't even sure when it started happening, but all I knew was that it was too late to pull back now. My heart hammered against my chest as our noses gently touched. Was this really happening?

Stefan closed his eyes, and mine fluttered shut as we very nearly close the gap between us. Unfortunately, the sound of the safe opening jolts us apart, and we both separated. It was like he was glued to the right wall of the safe, and I was glued to the left wall.

"It was so quiet, I got worried!" Caroline expressed.

In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to stake my best friend right in the heart.

Stefan stood up, getting out of the safe. He awkwardly held out a hand to help me out, and I took it without meeting his eyes, pulling myself out. I quickly let go of his hand, though I swore he kept his on for a second longer.

I couldn't help but let my gaze wander anywhere but Stefan's face as I knew that he was giving me a weird sort of look. I brushed it off as I went back over to the couch where Katherine was sulking, picking up my spell book as I did so. I pulled it open as I heard Caroline say to Stefan, "You made it out alive!"

Not being able to stop myself, I looked over at Stefan, who wasn't fully responding to Caroline's hug, his gaze focused entirely on me. I felt my face grow hot as I looked back down at the spell book. Great! I finally got what I had always wanted (a near kiss from Stefan) and I chickened out!

I was the most confusing girl ever!

All I knew was that something between Stefan and I had changed. And I really liked it.

* * *

I needed to talk to Stefan. I didn't want things awkward between us. Even if things didn't work out the way I wanted them to between us, I didn't want to lose Stefan as a friend. He was a very important person in my life.

So that was what led me to taking two shots of Bourbon to gain enough courage to go over to the room where Stefan was. It was where he had broken the chair during one of his 'spells' earlier today.

He was cleaning the place up when I walked in, my hands balled into a fist to keep them from shaking.

"You know, for the record, I, uh, I only broke one of these," He smiled, holding up the leg of the chair.

I shrugged slightly. "It was a pretty ugly chair. You're probably better off without this chair in your life."

"I thought you liked these chairs," Stefan stated.

I avoided Stefan's gaze as I reached down to pick up another leg of the chair. "Oh, I do. I'm just saying that to try and make you feel better."

That riled a laugh out of Stefan, and a smile out of me. "So he can laugh!" I joked. "I honestly thought I'd never hear that again, especially since I didn't remember how nice it sounded."

Stefan nodded, before going a bit more serious. "So I guess you were right all along. It was easier for me to focus on my physical pain than the break-up. I need to move on."

"I am the one in the psychology class, Stefan," I reminded him. "Do you really not trust me when it comes to my studies?"

"Yes, I doubted you, and I apologize for that," He joked. "So, earlier today, do you remember when you apologized to me?"

You mean when my hands were caressing your cheeks? My face flushed slightly as I nodded. "Yeah."

"You shouldn't have," Stefan told me. "I'm the vampire, I'm the one with the super hearing, I should have heard Silas coming."

"You couldn't have," I assured him. "I should have done something other than just stand there."

Without thinking, Stefan put his hands on my arms, bringing me slightly closer to him. "You did everything right, Juliet. There wasn't anything else for you to do to help me."

"I guess the truth is that Silas is just a big jerk," I said with a slight laugh.

"Is what you said true?" He asked me, bringing me slightly closer to him. "Do you really think that I'm ready to move on?"

My heart felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I put my hands where Stefan's are on my arms. "I can't decide that for you, Stefan. Only you can." Our faces inched closer towards each other. My hands went from his hands to run along his arms until they found their way to his chest. "If you think that you're ready to move on..." I trailed off as Stefan pulled me closer to him, and our faces were just inches apart. I fought against my blush as our noses touched. "...Then you're ready to move on."

Our lips gently brush against each others, and the taste of Stefan's lips was enough to send me reeling, and I hadn't even kissed him yet!

I swallowed back any doubts that I had before, and leaned forward slightly to finally close the gap between us.

"JJ!" I heard my name, and Stefan and I jumped apart. I went and stood on Stefan's left as Katherine came into view.

If she wanted to die, I would gladly be the one to kill her at this point.

She looked casual, but I had a feeling that she knew that she was interrupting something between Stefan and I. Katherine pointed behind her. "Caroline needs yours and Stefan's help to get the safe out of the house."

Stefan and I exchanged nervous glances, before nodding at Katherine. Stefan walked ahead of me, and I couldn't fight the smile on my face as the thought of my near-kiss with Stefan crossed my mind. My heart was still beating irregularly, and my fingers went up to my lips, tracing the spots where Stefan's lips had very briefly touched mine.

I looked back up, and accidentally caught Katherine's gaze. And she was glaring daggers at me. The look on her face quickly disappeared when I looked up at her, and she turned around to walk back down the stairs. I was right. Katherine was still in love with Stefan.

But I'd be damned if I was going to let another Petrova doppelganger get in the way of me finally being happy with the man that I was in love with.

And that man might even like me back.

Well, that was what I got from his almost kiss.

* * *

**TBC...**

***hides from behind fifty shields***

**I AM COMPLETELY SORRY THAT STEFAN AND JULES DIDN'T KISS IN THIS CHAPTER!**

**You didn't think that they'd get together that quickly, did you? Oh no, unfortunately, this couple still have a lot of obstacles to conquer.**

**But do not give up hope!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	10. Fifty Shades Of Grayson

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Just to clear up some confusion, Katherine and Stefan didn't sleep together. I use transcripts sometimes when I'm writing and I guess I forgot to take that part out. But now it's out, so don't worry about it.

ALSO, NINE FOLLOWERS AWAY FROM 100! YOU'RE ALL TOO FABULOUS FOR WORDS! ALSO YOU MAKE ME CRY.

* * *

**Enjoy!**

"Juliet, wake up!" I heard, and someone was shaking my arm.

I swatted at them. "Matty, five more minutes!"

"What? Jules, get up!"

"You know that I only want two pancakes! I only ever want two pancakes!" I grumbled, not looking over.

Matt's fingers opened up my right eye lid, and I saw that it was Damon trying to wake me up, not Matt.

"Damon?" I asked, rolling over so that I could sit up. "What are you doing in my room? How did you even get in here?" I asked, pushing my hair away from my face.

He pointed at my window. "I climbed in through your window."

"What are you doing here?" My gaze fell on his blood stained clothes. "Oh God, are you okay?"

"Forget about me," He brushed aside. "Have you seen Elena?"

"Not since she went back to Whitmore," I answered. "Why?"

"Because I can't find her anywhere," He responded, leaning away from me. "I have no idea where she is."

"Wait, what do you mean, you can't find her?" I asked, scrambling out of bed. "What is going on?"

Damon moved for the window, and jumped right out. "Damon! Damon, wait!" I called out. I stuck my head out the open window. "Damon, hold up! Damon!"

I growled when I realized that he was already gone. Grumbling, I switched out my pajamas for a pink blouse and black shorts before running out the door after Damon. I borrowed Matt's truck to drive down to the Salvatore house.

"Damon!" I shouted as I pushed the front door of the Salvatore house open. "Damon! What the hell?"

I stormed upstairs, and found Damon in Stefan's room. I banged the door open. "You cannot just drop the news that my sister is missing and then just leave!"

"Sorry about that," Damon said quickly.

My heart stopped when I saw Stefan in the room. My face heated up as I remembered our almost kiss from the night before. Our _two_, almost kisses, actually.

Stefan must have felt the same way, because he was avoiding my gaze. I guess Damon either didn't notice or didn't care enough because he was too worried about Elena, and kept going. "She's not picking up her phone, she's not in her dorm, she's nowhere in this house, which leads me to believe that Dr. Creepy Ken-doll has her somewhere."

"Doctor Maxfield?" I questioned.

"Yeah, the one that operated on vampires during business hours, yeah, that one," Damon said, and my jaw dropped.

"What?" I asked. "Wes does what?" I _kissed_ someone that operated on vampires?

"Later, Jules," Damon told me. He grabbed Stefan's jacket and tossed it to his brother. "Put your hero hair on, Stefan. Let's go get Elena," He said, and turned around to walk out the door.

"You told me that you didn't know where she was," I accused.

Damon spun on his heel. "I don't, which means we're gonna have to find us some leverage. So come on."

* * *

"Is this really necessary?" I asked the brothers as we walked inside the cafe on the Whitmore campus. Damon told me that this kid named Aaron that Elena had befriended was actually Aaron _Whitmore_, the heir to the Whitmore fortune. Technically, the kid was rich.

Now I see why Elena befriended him.

Either way, I didn't want to threaten or do any harm to this kid, as he didn't do anything wrong to _me_. I also didn't want to go through with Damon's plan.

"Just go over there!" Damon urged.

I groaned as I flipped my hair over, ruffling it around. I flipped my hair back up, so now it looked all frazzled and crazy. Then, I pulled the top of my shirt down so that it exposed my chest a little bit. I gave Damon and Stefan one final look, as if I was asking them if I looked all right.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, trying to keep his gaze above my chest.

"We're going to try things my way first," I said, grabbing my textbook and notebook out of my bag before walking over to where Aaron was sitting. As I got closer to him, I recognized him to be a guy in my psychology class. I 'tripped' on my feet, and my textbook and notebook sprawled all over Aaron's lap.

"I'm so sorry!" I gushed as I picked up the stray papers from the ground, and Aaron reached down to help me.

"It's okay," He said, grabbing my textbook and handing it back to me.

I flirtatiously smiled. "Thanks!" I pretended to study his face. "Hey, you're Aaron, right?"

"Yeah," He said, sitting back down. I took this as an opportunity to sit down next to him. I sat quite close, and crossed my legs.

"You're in my psychology class, aren't you?" I asked. "Dr. Connor's class?"

"Yeah," He said again, before going back to his textbook.

Going to have to try something else. "Do you know a girl named Elena Gilbert?"

Aaron diverted his eyes from me as he played with his pen. "Yeah. We're friends. Well, we _used_ to be."

"What happened?" I asked, feigning interest.

He shrugged. "She's just not the person that I thought she was."

I turned my body so that I was facing Aaron. "Well, I'm her sister. I haven't seen her around since yesterday and I was wondering if you had seen her."

Aaron very clearly got uncomfortable as he stuck his earphones back in his ears as he opened his notebook. "Sorry, no."

Without warning, Damon plopped down next to Aaron. "Pop quiz," He started, and Aaron looked around him, a scared expression on his face. He turned to me, and I just lightly shrugged. Hey, we tried doing it my way. Now it was Damon and Stefan's way. "So your girlfriend's taken by a mad scientist. Now, do you: A, get a new girlfriend; B, call the police; or C, kill someone close to the mad scientist?"

Stupidly, Aaron tried to make a run for it. Damon didn't make a move to run, and I learned why when I heard Stefan's voice. I turned my head in his direction to see him standing directly in front of Aaron. He smiled sarcastically as he said, "Sit," And Damon patted the space beside him.

Aaron sat back down as he said, "I have no idea where Wes took her."

"Well, they're not at his lab, so where else could he hide a vampire?" Stefan asked.

Aaron turned his head in Stefan's direction, looking very confused. He'd clearly met Damon before, but he hadn't met Stefan yet. "I'm sorry. Am I supposed to know who you are?"

"That's my brother Stefan," Damon supplied.

Aaron suddenly blurted, "How are you not dead? I shot you."

"Wait," I said, putting a hand up. "He shot you?" I asked Damon.

"You really _do _miss a lot, don't you Juliet?" Damon asked me. I shrugged as he answered what Aaron said, "Well, because you went for the head. You got to go for the heart." He smacked the back of Aaron's head, as if he was scolding him. "Go for the heart next time. Now, where's Elena?"

"I have no idea," Aaron continued. "All that Wes told me was to go about my life as usual."

"We're gonna call Wes, and you're gonna tell him that if he doesn't give us Elena the next experiment that he conducts it's gonna be sewing your arms back on," Damon threatened.

"We don't have to go that far, Damon," I quickly stepped in.

"Yes, we do, Juliet," He retorted.

"No, we don't, Damon," I argued as Aaron called up Wes.

"Do you have Elena?" Aaron talked into the phone. "Uh, Stefan and Damon Salvatore are going to kill me unless you give them Elena." Aaron paused as he listened to Wes's end. I was kind of pissed that I didn't have vampire hearing like Damon and Stefan did, so I had to rely on Aaron's side of the conversation to find out what was happening. As he talked to Wes, I could feel Stefan's gaze on me. I purposefully avoided it, because I knew that if I caught sight of him, I'd jump his bones right here and now, and that was the last thing that we needed right now.

"Or he's in front of me imagining what my kidney would taste like," Aaron told Wes. Wes said something, and Aaron hung up. Then he explained that Wes told him to go into his classroom, where he would give us Elena and we would give him Aaron.

Aaron led us outside, and Stefan spoke up as we walked along the campus. "You want to give me a little back story as to how you know one another?"

"Aaron is Aaron Whitmore, and he comes from a very long line of vampire-probing, blood-testing, organ-removing _freaks _called Augustine," Damon told us.

"Hang on," I interrupted. "You know this, how?"

"Because I was their test subject in the '50s," Damon answered with a shrug.

"What do you mean, 'test subject'?" Stefan further inquired.

"Meaning, I donated my body to science except I was alive and it was against my will," Damon said with a noncommittal shrug.

"Wait. Hold on a minute." Stefan stopped in his tracks, prompting all of us to stop walking. "How do I not know about this?"

Damon scoffed. "Don't get all guilt-ridden, Stefan, on me. We were on the outs back then, and by the time it was over, you know, it was over." Damon urged us all on.

"Why don't you finish the rest of the story, Damon?" Aaron demanded, but he was stopped by Stefan.

"I don't recall saying that you could talk," Stefan snapped to Aaron. He turned his head to me, which is probably the first time I'd properly looked at him today. My eyes immediately landed on his lips, but I forced them to travel back up to his eyes. "Did I say that he could talk?"

I shrugged slightly. "Not that I recall."

"I don't remember anything," Damon threw in.

"I didn't think so," Stefan confirmed, and we all started walking again. I could feel Stefan's gaze on me every so often, and I had to fight the urge to hold his hand. I even went as far as crossing my arms.

We finally make our way to the science building, and walked down the familiar hallway to Wes's classroom.

"Which one is it?" Damon asked.

"It's right here," Aaron answered as we walked inside the classroom. It looked empty, but apparently it wasn't. There was a guy with his hair slicked back sitting in a chair in the back.

"21051," The man said in a crisp British accent.

I saw the colour drain from Damon's face as he said in disbelief, "_Enzo_?"

This Enzo guy stood up, his eyes still firmly locked on Damon. "It's been a while, mate."

The tension between the two of them was so thick that I could probably cut through it with a knife. Enzo walked down from where he was sitting to the front of the room where we were. Damon obviously sensed that Enzo was danger, because he pushed me behind him and towards Stefan.

"Who the hell are you?" Stefan asked.

"Lorenzo, but my friends call me Enzo," Enzo said. "Ah. Kidding. I don't have any friends." Enzo offered Stefan his hand, but Stefan didn't shake it. He offered it to me, but I didn't take it either. To be honest, his hair was kind of weirding me out. Go easy on the gel, next time.

"Enzo's another Augustine vampire. Our cells were next to each other," Damon said to Aaron, Stefan and I. To Enzo, he said, "So we're here to meet somebody - Wes Maxfield. You know him?"

Enzo scoffed. "That's your first question for me? Not 'How are you? How'd you survive in that fire I left you to die in?'" He mocked.

My jaw dropped. Why did I miss all the important stuff?

Stefan and I exchanged confused glances, so obviously he didn't know about this either. "You what?"

"Uh, does somebody want to tell me what the hell is going on here?" Aaron asked, just as confused as Stefan and I were.

"I'd love to," Enzo smirked. "Have a seat. Been waiting 70 years to tell my story." He gestured for us to sit on the chairs in the classroom as he walked over to the teacher's desk. I looked over at Stefan, who was giving me a questioning look. I lifted a shoulder before walking over to the classroom chairs, sitting down on one closest to Enzo. Hey, if he was going to tell a long, boring story, I might as well be in the position to fall asleep.

"Whatever," Stefan grumbled, and asked Aaron for his phone. Aaron gave it to him, and he walked out of the classroom.

"Damon and I had been locked in those cells for years, tortured, beaten, humiliated, but we weren't gonna let them break us, no," Enzo said. "We decided if were going to escape, we needed to work _together_," He continued, putting sarcastic emphasis on the word "together". "We needed each other."

Stefan came back into the classroom, interrupting Enzo. "He's not sending her."

"What?" I blurted, stepping up and out of the chair, walking over to Stefan.

"Tragic," Enzo commented. "Can I continue my story now, please?"

Damon ignored Enzo as he asked Stefan, "Doesn't he know we have Aaron?"

"He doesn't care," Stefan answered. "He's willing to risk it."

Ooh, that was cold.

"What?" Aaron asked in disbelief. "Let me to talk to him! He'll listen to me."

"What part of 'he doesn't care' are you not registering?" Damon snapped.

Suddenly, there was a sound of a grunt and a chair is ripped out of the ground. We all watched as Enzo threw the chair out of the window, gaining our attention. Satisfied, Enzo said, "Where were we? Uh, ah, right. I was telling my story, and you were all politely listening. Huh?" He walked back over to the front of the classroom as Stefan's fingers wrapped around my arm, jerking me behind him. My heart warmed in appreciation.

"So I'd given Damon all of my blood ration so he'd have the strength to escape and save me in the process," Enzo continued. "Our plan began perfectly, didn't it? I was waiting in the cage for him to release me, waiting for my friend, my cellmate, the only soul with whom I'd connected with in all those years of captivity. Then a fire starts, burns out of control, but Damon just can't get the damn cage open. He looks me in the eye as if he doesn't even recognize me, turns around, saves himself, leaving me to die."

"Well, you didn't die," Stefan commented.

I lifted my arms up, gesturing to Enzo. "Obviously."

"No. Unfortunately I lived," Enzo grumbled. "I was spared by one of the scientists so I could spend another 50 years on a table being opened and closed." He was quiet for a second before he spoke up again. "Now that we've all been acquainted, I'm gonna find something to wet my whistle." He got up, leaving the classroom.

Stefan immediately bombared Damon. "You didn't tell me about him."

"It was the 1950s. I'm supposed to remember every moment of my life?" Damon told Stefan, before changing the subject. "Do you want to kill Aaron, or should I?"

Stefan wouldn't let him, though. "This guy was your cellmate for 5 years, you left him to die, he comes back, and you're completely unfazed?"

Damon ignored what Stefan said, and walked towards Aaron. "Fine. I will."

I immediately stood in front of Aaron. "Hold up!"

"What?" Damon asked in an exasperated tone.

"We can't just _kill _him!" I protested. "What if he still has any information?" I whipped around so that I was facing Aaron. "Do you?"

He started speaking really fast. "Wes gave me a bunch of files on my family history. They're in my dorm. Maybe there's something in there you need, a name, I mean, another lab."

"That's a timely revelation," Damon commented.

"Yeah. Well, you know, he's not gonna help me, why should I help him?" Aaron asked us.

Damon pushed me out of the way, and I gritted my teeth as he did so. But I stood down. He started walking towards Aaron, and with every step Damon took towards him, Aaron took one back. "I don't like you, I don't like your family, I don't like you messing up my relationship. If you're lying, I'm gonna take my thumbs, and I'm gonna gouge out your sad little eyes out of your sad little head!

Enzo walked in, two bottles of alcohol in his hands. "Ah. It's frightening what you can find on campus these days."

"Knock yourself out," Stefan told him before gesturing to all of us. "We're going with plan 'b.'"

"Damon's not," Enzo declared, pouring himself a drink. "Damon's staying right here. He knows all my secrets, so he knows how ornery I can get when I don't get my way."

Damon sighed before turning to Stefan and I . "Call me if you find anything, kill him if you don't."

Stefan and I looked to each other (miraculously, I didn't blush) and then he turned to Aaron. "Let's go."

* * *

It was a quiet walk to Aaron Whitmore's dorm room, but when we got there, Aaron said, "All the files of my family history are in here." And he looked under his bed.

I tapped my foot anxiously. "Come on. My sister doesn't have all day." For some reason, the whole idea of vampires being cut up by Wes made me a) want to throw up at the thought of me even being _attracted_ to him, let alone kiss him and b) want to rip Wes apart at the thought of what he could possibly be doing to Elena.

Quietly, Stefan grabbed my arm and pushed me to the other side of the room, before he dashed at Aaron and grabbed his throat. I was about to yell at Stefan, but then I saw Aaron dropping a gun, and was suddenly glad that he had done that. "Is this all a lie, huh?" Stefan growled. "If you want me to kill you, I will kill you. Do not test me."

"Do it," Aaron choked out. "I'm dead already. Damon's been planning my death since before I was born."

What the hell?

"Stefan, let him go," I told him. "Aaron, what on earth are you talking about?"

"Damon left out the best part of the Augustine story, the part after he escaped," He gasped.

I made my way over to Stefan, and gently touched his shoulder. After looking at me for a few seconds, he looked back to Aaron before letting go of his neck. Aaron started coughing, trying to regain his breathing.

"Talk," Stefan demanded.

Aaron took a deep breath before he started. "It wasn't enough for Damon to kill the doctors who tortured him. He had to torture their families and their future families. He spent the last 60 years killing every one of my relatives," Aaron revealed, and my face contorted into one of disbelief as he kept going. "Except he's a psychopath. He leaves one alive so that they can continue the family line so that he can destroy future generations of innocent people. So go ahead and do it, kill me because I don't want to give Damon the satisfaction, so do it," Aaron closed his eyes, waiting for his death. "Do it!"

I looked over at Stefan, who had no emotion on his face. Then, he said to Aaron, "You know, not all of us are like my brother."

Aaron didn't respond. Stefan just looked over at me, and I shrugged slightly. Aaron wasn't going to be of any help. I jerked my head towards the door. _Might as well leave_.

Stefan nodded in agreement, and I turned to leave. But before I could move, I felt Stefan slipping his hand into my own. I looked from my hand to Stefan, who let a smile grow on his face. A nervous smile covered mine, and my heart hammered as he begins to lead us out of Aaron's dorm.

We were just outside the door before Aaron's voice stopped us. "Stefan?"

We turned around, and walked back inside. Aaron went back under his bed, and this time, pulled out files and papers. "This is everything Wes gave me on Augustine. I saw Elena's and Juliet's last name on a few pages. Maybe it will help."

I gave Aaron a smile as Stefan took the files out of his hands. "Thank you, Aaron."

Stefan looked through the files, and his expression dropped. He looked over to me. "I know where Elena is."

"What? Where?" I asked him, grabbing the file out of his hands.

"She's at your dad's old office. If I run I can get there," He said, but then hesitated.

"What? Go save my sister!" I urged, grabbing his hands and giving them a squeeze. He still looked unsure. I rolled my eyes. "Look, you have to go. I'll get there on my own. Save Elena, and take her back to your house. I'll meet you there." My heart about to explode, I stood on my tip toes and gave Stefan a quick peck on the cheek. It was sort of a kiss of motivation.

That was all that he needed to give me a quick kiss on the cheek, and then he ran right out of the room with his vampire speed. I handed Aaron back his files, before running out of the room after him, my hands tracing the spot that Stefan had kissed me the whole way.

* * *

One very expensive taxi ride later, I ran up to the Salvatore house, barging inside. Elena was sitting on the couch, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I ran over to her.

"Thank God," I breathed, leaning over her and grabbing her in a hug. I didn't realize today how much I cared about her until she was taken from me. And now I felt like a real bitch for being a bitch to her.

"Jules," Elena choked. I pulled back, and studied her face. She still looked a bit groggy, but was looking okay.

"You're okay, aren't you?" I asked her, brushing her hair back. "You're not hurt?"

"I'm fine," She assured me. "Just a little tired."

"Well, you just rest up," I said to her. "And if you need me for anything, you just have to shout." I stood up, running my hand through my hair. Now, on to different matters. "Do you know where Stefan is?" I asked her.

"Yeah, he's upstairs in his room, I think," She answered, before opening up a diary that she had in her hands.

"Thanks," I said, before turning to go upstairs. I walked past Damon, who had this sort of conflicted look on his face. Shaking it off, I went up the stairs. I'd been mentally preparing myself to face Stefan since I got into the taxi. I made my way into Stefan's room, where he was fiddling with something on his dresser.

I tapped lightly on his door, and he turned to face me. His previous normal expression was quickly masked by an expressionless one. "Hey," He said.

"Hi," I replied, walking into his room.

The air was tight before I spoke up again. "So, we clearly have a few things to talk about."

"Yeah, I guess we do," He said, shifting his weight.

I didn't like this. Stefan and I had never felt uncomfortable around each other, at least not like this. The air around us was no longer the playful, happy go lucky sense that it usually was. It was a 'make it or break it' sort of sense.

And that kind of scared me.

"Do you wanna sit down?" Stefan asked, gesturing to the bed he had in his room.

I crossed my arms. "I'd rather stand, if you don't mind." I rocked back and forth on my heels. "So..." I drawled.

"So," Stefan said in the same tone.

I huffed. Might as well just spit it out. "Are we going to talk about how we almost kissed?"

Stefan chuckled. "Always one to get to the point, aren't you, Jules?"

I lifted a shoulder. "Well, yeah. I don't know what our almost kisses meant to you. It could have been heat of the moment, it could have been a long time coming." Was I really going to do this? "All I know is that I have feelings for you, Stefan Salvatore. I've had feelings for you for the longest time."

Turned out I was.

Stefan just stood in silence as I continued to rant. "I don't know what the near kisses meant to you. It could have meant nothing. But they meant something to me. A lot, actually. And I don't know how we're supposed to move on from here since we are best friends and we almost kissed-_twice_-but you are still my best friend, Stefan. And a person that's very important to me and I don't want to lose you."

I took a deep breath after my rant. But Stefan just stood there, still not saying anything. I made a noise of exasperation as I put my hands on my hips. "Well? Don't _you_ have anything to say?"

Stefan just studied his hands for a second while I impatiently tapped my foot. And before I knew it, he was taking three large strides towards me. Before I could ask what he was doing, he gently cupped my face, and pressed his lips to mine.

I was so surprised that I actually almost pulled away from his kiss. His lips were sweeter than I could ever imagine, and I began moving my lips against his with a deep urgency.

He responded enthusiastically, letting his hands get tangled up in my hair. I ran my hands up his arms before grabbing his face, deepening our kiss.

It was...even better than I could have ever imagine. If you had told me a few months ago that I would be kissing Stefan Salvatore, I would have a) ask who Stefan Salvatore actually _was_ and then b) call you crazy.

But here we were, making out in his bedroom. My hands had moved from his cheeks and I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he had moved his hands to the small of my back, bringing me closer to him.

After what felt like forever (but was probably only a couple of minutes) Stefan brought his hands back to my face before gently pulling away. The look on my face must have been complete awe, because Stefan smiled before pressing another quick kiss to my lips.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, very out of breath. How long were we kissing?

Stefan traced the line of my cheekbones as he said. "I don't know. All I know is that I want this." He lifted his shoulders. "You were right. I _am_ ready to move on. And right now, I'm not sure about how I feel about you. Yesterday you were my best friend, but something has definitely changed. I don't know if these feelings are new or if they've been a long time coming." He leaned in slightly, touching his forehead to mine. He closed his eyes, but I kept mine open, not wanting to miss any second of this. "All I know is that I want this right now." He opened his eyes again. "I want _you_, Capulet."

I couldn't help the few tears that escaped me. Hey, I'd waited a long time to hear those words, okay? Stefan wiped them away before kissing the spots where they were as I said, "I don't know what to say. I really don't."

Wasn't I perfect?

Stefan's lips made their way to my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin and sending me into hyper drive. "You don't have to say anything."

My heart beat picked up double time as he placed his lips firmly back on mine. I had to keep myself from squealing with delight, so instead, I wrapped my arms back around his neck, standing on my tip toes as I tried to cover as much of his mouth with my own as I could.

Just to make this moment a little more romantic, I did the thing that Anne Hathaway did when she was in the Princess Diaries. I slowly brought my left leg up, 'popping' it. I smiled into the kiss at my own little joke.

Suddenly, Stefan pulled back, but didn't move his arms from my waist. He turned his head this way and that.

"What's wrong?" I asked, catching my breath. Though I was slightly (okay more than slightly) disappointed that our kissing session had been interrupted.

"Did you hear that?" He asked, turning to face me. He finally let go of my waist, so I was forced to let go of his neck.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms. Whatever it was, it was dead.

"It sounded like a thud," He answered. "From downstairs."

"But it's just Damon and Elena downstairs," I told him.

He shook his head. "I heard Elena and Damon both leave the house."

"Who else would be here?" I asked.

"Well, Katherine was here earlier," He remarked, gently pushing me aside as he made his way down the stairs.

Then Katherine was the one who I was killing.

Trying not to grumble, I followed him, but he was down the stairs before me. And then he shouted up the stairs, "Juliet! Call 911!"

"Why?" I questioned, speeding down the stairs. I got my answer as I saw Katherine lying down at the foot of the stairs, seemingly unresponsive. Stefan was applying CPR as he urgently pressed me to call 911.

Stepping over Katherine, I ran over and grabbed the house phone before calling in and saying that we needed an ambulance. I hung up, before going back over to Stefan. I knelt down next to him as he kept doing compressions. "What happened?"

"I think she had a heart attack," He replied.

Oh yeah. Just leave it to Katherine to ruin my moment.

* * *

**TBC...**

** SO WE FINALLY GOT THE JEFAN KISS! WHO ELSE CHEERED?**

**But don't expect things to go **_**too**_** smoothly. There's something coming up in the next couple of chapters that is going to make a real mess of things.**

**I'm so sorry.**

**Also, DO YOU GUYS KNOW HOW EXCITED I AM FOR KLAUS TO COME BACK NEXT CHAPTER? WRITING HIM AND JULES IS GONNA BE SO MUCH FUN!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	11. 500 Years of Solitude

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **SO sorry for the short hiatus! But let me tell you, it is gonna be worth it :)

* * *

**Enjoy!**

I bounced my leg up and down uncontrollably as Stefan and I sat in the waiting room at the Mystic Falls hospital. I nervously twirled a piece of my hair, something that always drove my mom crazy.

Stefan moved his hand to my bouncing knee, stopping me. "You're giving me motion sickness."

I let my hair fall down and huffed. "Please. Vampire's don't _get_ motion sickness." I put both hands on the arm rests and pushed myself up so that I wasn't slouching anymore.

My eyes fell on a woman frantically walking into the hallway, and I quickly placed her as Nadia, Katherine's daughter.

I tapped Stefan's shoulder, standing up. "Stefan."

His eyes followed my gaze, and he stood as Nadia walked over to us. Stefan quickly explained the situation, which Nadia refused to believe.

"It just doesn't make sense," She said. "I was just speaking with her on the phone, she sounded fine."

"The doctors think it was a heart attack," Stefan told her.

Nadia's eyes glistened with tears as she choked out a small laugh. "Trust me. Katherine Pierce is not going to die from a heart attack. We all know my mother. She will fight this."

"She's dying," Stefan said bluntly.

I cleared my throat, stepping in."What Stefan means to say is that, her whole body is shutting down. Five hundred years have finally caught up with her. Vampire blood can't save her, magic can't save her. Katherine Pierce has finally run out of time." Nadia's eyes filled up with tears as I kept talking. "Stefan compelled the doctors to let him take her home so that she's more comfortable, but there's nothing more we can do. She's dying."

Nadia was trying her best to fight her tears, so I acted without thinking. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She stodd stiff against me. "I'm sorry about your mother," I whispered, and then pulled back. "You should go see her. Stefan and I will take care of the paperwork."

Nadia nodded. "Thank you," She said to me, and then she went towards the room that her mother was in.

I turned so that I was standing in front of Stefan, rubbing my eyes. All the excitement of today had me beat. "We should get started on that paperwork."

"No, _I'll _get started on that paperwork," Stefan corrected. "You go home and get some sleep."

"Stefan..." I started.

"Don't 'Stefan' me," He said, cupping my neck. "Go home. Eat. Get some sleep. I'll call you in case something happens, okay?"

I was about to argue again, but Stefan was not going to let up. I nodded, and he gently kissed my forehead before pulling me into a hug.

I called a cab, and it took me back home. Matt wasn't home, so he probably had a late shift at the Grill. I made enough macaroni and cheese so that he could have some when he got home, and I wrote him a little note telling him that the food was for him and that if he didn't do the dishes afterwards I'd kick his ass.

Then I took a shower, changed into my pajamas, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

The Spider-Man theme song started blasting through my room, and I groaned, pulling my blanket all the way over my head and flopping on to my stomach. Someone was calling me, and I didn't want to know who.

Grumbling, I reached my hand out and blindly tapped my side table for my phone. I finally got it, and I pressed the 'talk' button, putting the phone to my ear. "This better be good."

* * *

"So let me get this straight," I said as I paced the Grill. "You spent two years pining after my sister, only to break her heart into two?"

Turned out it was Matt who was calling, and he said that I needed to get over to the Grill to help sort out a problem. So I got here, only to see Damon passed out on the bar, an almost empty bottle of bourbon sitting in front of him. Then Matt and Jeremy kindly explained to me that Damon and Elena had broken up last night. I was surprised that Stefan and I didn't hear it. According to a very hungover Damon, there was yelling. A lot of it.

"What kind of a guy does that?" I asked, spinning around to face Damon, my high ponytail swooshing as I did so.

"Just don't, Jules," Damon groaned.

I rolled my eyes, going over to him. I sat down on the bar stool next to him. "Okay! Okay. I _should_ kick your ass for dumping Elena right after she had been kidnapped. But I won't, just for your sake."

Damon's phone buzzed, alerting him to a text. He pulled his phone out, his eyes scanning over the message as a grin crossed his face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"If you must ask, Older Gilbert," Damon started. "It's time to celebrate."

* * *

"You're seriously doing this?" I asked Damon as he filled up the shot glasses. We were back at the boarding house, where Damon has decided to host a party celebrating the fact that today was Katherine's last day on the planet.

"Yes," He said, filling the last glass. "Rule number one: think of the worst thing that Katherine Pierce has ever done to you. Rule number two: toast to the glory of her impending death. Rule number three: if you come across something that's worse, which you will, repeat rules one and two." Damon decided to go first. "She pretended to be buried in a tomb for a hundred and forty five years while I waited for her lying ass." He grabbed a glass, and downed the shot. "Wait. Does that beat her pretending to be Elena while I kissed her on the front of your old porch?" He asked me and Jeremy.

I refused to comment, but Jeremy said, "I don't think so."

"I didn't think so either," Damon said as he drank another shot. He picked up another glass, and held it up in front of Matt. "Quarterback, go."

"Uhh..." Matt stuttered.

Damon clearly did not have the time for that, because he said, "You think on that," Before turning towards Jeremy. "Little Gilbert."

"She fed me to Silas and I died," Jeremy said.

"Doozy," Damon commented as Jeremy drank his shot.

"Then, she made me crash my car into a pole and left me for dead. Again," Jeremy said.

"Double doozy," Damon said, handing Jeremy another shot.

"My sister is dead because of her," Matt offered.

That was right. I remembered reading about that in my diary.

"Yes she is," Damon sang, picking up another glass and giving it to Matt. "Because I wouldn't have even been in town to turn Vicki into a murderous vampire if I wasn't trying to get Katherine out of a tomb she wasn't in."

I rolled my eyes as the three boys took a 'group shot'. Damon grabbed one of the last few shots, and handed it to me. "And you, Older Gilbert?"

I eyed the shot in Damon's hand, and then shook my head. "No."

"What do you mean, 'no'?" He asked, lowering the shot.

"I mean that even if I could remember what the worst thing that Katherine Pierce has ever done to me, I still wouldn't drink to someone's death," I explained. I still have morals. "It's rude and insensitive and disrespectful."

"So is Katherine," Damon said. I crossed my arms and leaned back into the sofa, and he finally took the hint that I wasn't gonna drink it. He rolled his eyes before drinking the shot himself.

The front door opened, and in walked Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline. "Seriously?" Elena said in a dissaproving tone.

I could sense every muscle in Damon's body tense at Elena's voice. Matt, the sweetheart, continued as if nothing happened. "Elena! We were just-"

"I know what you were doing," Elena said as she walked towards us. She pointed at Jeremy. "You're cut off." Then, she pointed to me. "And Miss Recovering from a Coma, you're cut off too."

"I wasn't even drinking!" I protested.

Elena just shook her head at me, walking around so that she was standing in front of Damon. Everyone pretended to be interested in something else as Damon and Elena looked at each other. Elena took the shot glass out of Damon's hands, and finally broke the silence by saying, "If anyone is going to be drinking to Katherine's last days, it's going to be me." She smirked before starting, "She impersonated me. Repeatedly." Then, she downed the shot. "Made Aunt Jenna stab herself in the stomach, _and_ cut off Uncle John's fingers."

"He might have deserved that," Jeremy piped up.

"I don't remember that and I still think that's sort of true," I commented. I didn't like Uncle John much growing up. He was always really weird to me. I think he treated me kind of differently because I was in no way biologically related to him (Elena was his daughter, Jeremy was his nephew) but I tried not to let it bother me. He was still there for me, apparently, when things got rough with Klaus in town.

Damon filled the glasses up again. And while I still refused to drink, I sat and listened to everybody's stories about Katherine Pierce.

"My Grams died trying to close a tomb she wasn't in," Bonnie brought up, taking a seat on the armrest of the chair Jeremy was sitting in.

"Tyler's werewolf curse was triggered because of her," Caroline said, sitting herself down next to me.

"Klaus followed her to Mystic Falls and because of that we lost Jenna," Elena said, drinking another shot.

"And Alaric," Damon said, slamming the now empty bottle down on the table.

Okay, so the Klaus thing I guess was really bad, but it was sort of good for me. I mean, not that I remember, but apparently, sex with Klaus was amazing. Well, at least according to Pre-Coma Julie.

"We're gonna need more booze," Matt said, picking up the empty bottle. He got up, and went down to the cellar, where I assumed more alcohol was.

"She tried to kill me _at least_ twice," Elena kept going.

"She _did_ kill me," Caroline pointed out. "Though I'm weirdly better off."

"No offense, Care, but that's true," I said, and Caroline huffed, playfully shoving my shoulder.

"Rumour has it that she burned down the entire city of Atlanta once," Damon told us.

"That might win," Jeremy said with a small smirk.

"Alright, knock it off or take it somewhere else," Stefan said, and I turned to see him walking down the stairs. "You guys are being insensitive."

"How many times must I say that I am not drinking?" I think aloud.

"Come on, Stefan," Damon said. "Don't let the sight of a frail, human, Elena look alike cloud your memories of the manipulative psycho that she is," He finished, picking up a shot glass and offering it to his brother.

Stefan took a deep breath, before reaching forward and taking the glass from Damon. I rolled my eyes at Stefan as he started his Katherine story. I mean, wasn't he the one that was just lecturing everybody else?

"In eighteen sixty-four, Katherine moved into my home. She compelled me to love her, seduced my brother, fed us vampire blood and then started a war with the town that got us killed," He said.

"Exactly!" Damon exclaimed, picking up a glass of his own. I'd lost count at how many glasses Damon's drunk. He should really consider AA or something because that was sort of a problem. "Bottoms up."

"But, centuries before that, she was just an innocent girl who was shunned by her family. So for five hundred years, she lied and manipulated and did whatever she had to to survive, and she did," Stefan continued. "She's a survivour, right? So that's the girl that I will drink to today. Cheers," He tipped his glass towards the group before taking the shot, and I couldn't help the hint of a smile for Stefan for taking the high road.

Damon, with an eye roll, stood up with the empty bottle. "We need more booze. This is why you don't send a bus boy to do a man's job."

"Hey! Don't make fun of Matt!" I defended.

Damon ignored me as the expression on his face changed to one of confusion. "Nadia."

Everyone's attention turned to where Damon was looking, where, sure enough, Nadia Petrova stood. "The devil's spawn. Hey Caroline, did you remember to tell Elena about her?"

Caroline just smacked herself on the forehead.

"I think my mind just exploded," Elena said, standing up. I could tell she was already a little tipsy. Which was why I had sworn off alcohol. "Katherine's upstairs."

"Actually, I'm here to see all of you," Nadia said as she walked over to us. "I found a way to save my mother. And I need some help."

Damon immediately shut her down. "Uh-uh. No way. Even my biased brother knows that I will kick his ass from here to Kentucky if he helps Katherine Pierce live one more day on this Earth. No volunteers."

"I figured as much," Nadia said. "Which is why I found that old safe that your brother spent the summer drowning in, and buried it on this property, with your friend Matt inside of it."

My stomach dropped as Nadia held up the Gilbert ring that is always on Matt's finger. "Without this."

And to think that I felt sorry for her! And that I convinced Stefan to help me save her mother's life!

Why do people keep ragging on Matt? He'd done nothing wrong!

"Oh, and I need Juliet specifically," Nadia said, looking directly at me.

"Why do you need me, specifically?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Because if you want to see Matt again, you'll come," Nadia said.

Growling, I followed her and Stefan and Elena (who had also volunteered) out the door. We made it to Nadia's car, and I was about to get in when she stuck something pointy into my arm.

I cried out and moved to jerk away from the needle, but she held me in place as she extracted some of my blood. She pulled the needle out, and I moved away from her. "What the hell?"

"What's going on?" Stefan asked as he and Elena came over to us.

"Nothing," Nadia dismissed. To Stefan and Elena, she said, "Get in the car." To me, she said, "You're free to go look for Matt."

"So you just needed my blood?" I asked. Why was it that everyone wanted my blood? I mean, Tessa's told me there's something extra magical about it, but really, what was so special?

"That's right," She said, getting into the car. And then she just drove off, leaving me in the driveway. Shaking my head in disbelief, I rubbed my now sore arm as I called Caroline.

"Hey, turns out, Nadia doesn't need me anymore," I told her. "Where are you guys looking?"

"Around back," She answered. "You look around front, and then we'll regroup."

"Okay," I chirped, and hung up. I was checking something on my phone as I walked, and when I looked up, I slammed my head right into a tree.

I groaned in pain as I flopped on to the ground. I fought the black spots that were starting to cover my eyes, and tried pushing away the numbness that I had started to feel. It was no use though; I blacked out.

* * *

_ I stumbled drunkenly towards the Mikaelson mansion. My little talk with Stefan left me more upset than hopeful. And what did I decide to do?_

_ Drink._

_ Alcohol and I had a very difficult relationship together. I made bad choices while I was under the influence, but my brain seemed to think they were good choices. Like going to see Klaus._

_ I had no idea why I was voluntarily going over to him, when I'd spent the better part of a year trying to stay away from him. I guess, Klaus _did_ say that if I were ever in need of comforting, that he'd be there for me. And I needed comforting. _

_ For some odd reason, the Mikaelson front door was unlocked. Shrugging, I opened the door, walking inside. _

_ I walked into the living room, and saw Klaus standing in front of the fire. He turned around at the sound of someone entering his house, and his eyebrows shot all the way up to his hairline when he saw who it was. "Juliet Gilbert?"_

_ "That's me," I said as I walked over to him, trying my best to keep my composure so that he didn't know I was drunk as a skunk._

_ "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked as I made my way in front of him._

_ I was about to open my mouth, but I accidentally tripped on my own two feet. I go flailing, but Klaus lurched forward and actually caught me before I fell. My head landed on his chest, and I slowly looked up at him. He was looking intently into my brown eyes, and I was searching through his beautiful green ones. And then I burst into laughter, letting my head fall back on his chest._

_ "May I ask what's so funny?" He asked as I lifted my head back off of his chest. _

_ "You talk funny," I said as I stood up straight._

_ "I...talk funny," He said slowly._

_ I nodded. "Oh yeah. What is it...British? Welsh?"_

_ "You were right the first time, it was British," Klaus said, a hint of a smile on his face. "Now, go home, Juliet. I think you're drunk."_

_ "No, wait!" I said. "I have to tell you a secret."_

_ "Oh yeah?" He asked, crossing his arms in amusement. "What?"_

_ I leaned close, as if I was going for his lips, but instead I went to his ear. "I think you're hot."_

_ "Do you now?" Klaus asked as I leaned back on my heels._

_ "Oh yeah," I said. "You're blond, and I like blonds. You've got that accent thing going on, and that's kind of hot." _

_ Klaus kept nodding his head as I kept talking. For some reason it hasn't registered that this was a bad idea. "And you've got that whole Alpha male thing going on that I personally find as a real turn on."_

_ "Is that so?" Klaus asked as I discreetly walked towards him._

_ "So," I started._

_ "So," He said, a bit suspiciously._

_ "There is a reason that I've come to your home," I told him, and now we were arms distance away from each other._

_ "And that is?" he asked, leaning his face closer to mine. His face was so close that his lips were almost brushing mine. He breathed in and breathed out softly, his breath on my lips, making me shiver pleasantly. I couldn't help it then…_

_ I slammed my lips against his. _

_ It was rather sloppy since I was drunk but Klaus didn't seem to mine as he heatedly kissed me back. I couldn't help but gasp against his lips at how amazing they felt on mine. This gave him the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth, tangling it with mine._

_ I threw my arms around his neck and flushed my body against his. Klaus growled, griping my hips and bringing them to his. I moaned in his mouth as I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. Using his vampire speed, he slammed me up against the wall. His hands ran all over my body, touching spots that no one had touched before, and it felt amazing. My hands raked through his hair as I deepened the kiss and pushed my hips against his more. _

_ After running his hands over every inch of my body, they cupped my ass, making me gasp with pleasure especially when he would gently squeeze me there. Then his hands slid up my shirt, caressing my back gently. As he did this, my hands went to the end of his shirt, pulling it up slightly to signal him that I wanted to take it off. He broke the kiss to help me pull it off, something I whimpered at in disappointment. Luckily that disappointment ended quickly because as soon as his shirt was off, he brought his lips back to mine, sliding his tongue back into my mouth. He tangled his with mine. _

_ My hands trailed up his back, feeling his muscles, which flexed deliciously under touch. They felt amazing. _

_ Suddenly, I gasped when his hips bucked against mine and I couldn't help but buck back against him, getting a moan out of him. Hearing it was music to my ears. Wanting to hear more moan, I began to grind down on him. He growled as he untangled our tongues and broke the kiss again. Before I could say anything, he ripped off my shirt. I moaned at this. God, that was hot. Wanting to see more clothes off of him, I began taking off the rest of his clothes as he did the same to me. Before I knew it, we were both naked. I looked him over, licking my lips. He was even more gorgeous naked. While I looked him over, he was doing the same thing to me, breathing heavily. I met his eyes after I finished looking at him. The first thing I noticed was that his eyes had darkened, so dark that it made me shiver with delight. _

_ This time Klaus made the first move, scooping me up in his arms and kissing me deeply. He used his vampire speed again to bring us to one of the bedrooms. The bedroom door was closed but Klaus kicked it open with his foot. As we entered the room, I managed to grab the doorknob and I slammed the door closed._

* * *

Oh, my head...

I shook my head free of any dizziness, and my face immediately began to heat up at the memory banging my head on the tree must have brought back.

Oh my dear goodness.

I knew that I had slept with Klaus (and many times after that) but I swear in that memory, I was feeling _everything_. Klaus's hands on me, my hands tangled in Klaus's hair, the feeling of cloth ripping off of my body...

I shakily stood on my feet. I checked my phone, and saw that only fifteen minutes have passed since I blacked out. Only fifteen minutes?

Well, whatever. I got an update text from Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy that nobody had found Matt yet, so I might as well start looking again.

I started walking, slowly at first, but then I got used to the feeling in my legs again so I was walking properly. I felt a rather harsh breeze behind me, and I knew that it wasn't a natural one.

Slowly, I turned around, only to be greeted by the face that I was kissing not that long ago. In my memories, of course.

"Klaus," I breathed.

"Hello, Juliet," He said, very calm.

I suddenly felt self conscious. I just woke up from a memory of possibly the best sex I've ever had and here he was, all nonchalant.

But it didn't take much for me to quickly get over it. I broke out into a huge smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you kept saying that you'd come to visit me, but I didn't receive one letter announcing your arrival. So, I decided to come see you myself," Klaus answered.

"First of all, no sends letters anymore, and second of all, that can't be the only reason that you're here," I said, crossing my arms.

"You're right, it isn't," Klaus said.

I huffed. "Wow. I can't believe that you actually agreed with me." I turned on my heel and stalked off.

I wasn't surprised to hear Klaus's footsteps behind me. "That's it? I don't see you for over three months, and that's _all_ you have to say?"

I turned my head to face him. "I don't see _you_ for over three months and that's the _only_ thing you say?"

Klaus ran so that he was in front of me, and I stopped. A blush crawled up my neck when I realized how close we were standing. "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry."

"You're actually apologizing?" I asked. "That Hayley girl must have done you some good."

"You've done more good to me than she has, but I _am_ sorry," He said, and he started leaning closer to me. "Allow me to make it up to you."

I actually _laughed_ as he leaned forward, and I kept leaning back. "Sorry," I said, pushing back up. Klaus moved when I did, and the two of us were standing straight again. "I'm sort of taken."

"Sort of?" Klaus asked.

"Well, we don't have a real label yet, but yeah, sort of," I thought. What were Stefan and I?

My phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket. I winced when I saw a text from Caroline saying that while she still hasn't found anything, she, Bonnie, and Jeremy have split up to cover more ground. "Oh my God! I completely forgot about Matt!" What kind of a friend was I? I was going to have to cook Matt's favourite for dinner tonight to ease my guilt.

"What about Matt?" Klaus asked.

"He's buried under ground, and I'm supposed to be looking for him," I said. "What are you really doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, of course."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're here to watch Katherine die, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"Of course," I said. "Well, at least you're honest."

"Not _just_ to watch Katherine die," He defended. "I did miss you. And I _did_ want to see you."

I put my hands on his shoulders. "And I love you for that, but I have a bigger problem on my hands. I'm going to be roommateless unless we can find Matt."

"Alright, love, we'll find the quarterback," Klaus assured me. "Let's start looking."

I tried getting Klaus to sniff out where Matt could be, but that was something that Klaus was not willing to do. So I just waited for him to hear anything.

"Did you get my letter?" He asked me. "I always forget to ask."

"You mean did I get the letter that said that you left your house to me?" I asked. "Yes, I got that letter. What were you thinking, Klaus? What am I going to do with a house that big? You could have at least sold it."

"Juliet, I have been alive for over a thousand years; I have more money than I know what to do with," He started. "I was thinking that one day, you might need a place to live with your husband and raise your little Julietes. That place is my home, and it deserves to go to someone who is most like home to me."

I stopped walking, my heart literally melting. Klaus turned his head to see that I had stopped walking. "Klaus, that might be the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." I walked back over to him, and wrapped him up into a hug. "Thank you."

I pulled back, a smile on my face. "You really think that I'm gonna have little Julietes?"

He shrugs. "Who knows. They might be little Niklauses."

I laughed, punching him on the shoulder. "You might want to focus on the little Niklaus that you're gonna have running around in a few months first, before you decide on having any more."

Klaus smiled. "Listen, Juliet. I have to be leaving soon, but there is one person I wanted to see before I left."

"Caroline?" I guessed, and he looked a little speechless. "I've read my diaries, Klaus." I wrapped one arm around him, and he wrapped his arm around me. "Go after her. If I need to cover for Caroline, then I will."

"You are too good to me, you know that?" He asked, and then he gave me a proper hug. One that was filled with warmth, caring, and love.

"Alright, you get going. I have to keep looking for Matt. I'll call you?" I said, pulling away from his hug.

He nodded. "Not if I call you first."

"I'll call you first," I said, teasing him.

"I won't answer."

"You will."

"I won't."

"Bye, Klaus," I said with a laugh, waving at him.

He gave a gentle wave back. "Until we meet again, Juliet." Then a whoosh of air, and he was gone.

* * *

Matt was found eventually, and we all made our way back to the Salvatore boarding house. Interestingly enough, Caroline didn't show up. Klaus was _so_ spilling those details later.

Everyone was sitting in the living room, just waiting for it to finally happen. For Katherine to take her last breath.

Before she did, I wanted to say goodbye. I didn't know why, but Katherine deserved a goodbye from someone that _didn't_ hate her guts, didn't she?

I made my way upstairs, and gently knocked on the door. I heard a faint, "Come in," And when I stepped inside, I was shocked.

The person on the bed did _not_ look like the Katherine Pierce I'd seen before. She was all frail, gray haired, and, well, _dying._ "Hey, JJ," She said weakly. "Your turn to say goodbye?"

I nodded, going over and gently sitting on the bed next to her. "I guess so. You deserve a goodbye from someone who _doesn't_ hate your guts."

Katherine weakly smiled, a task that seemed to take a lot out of her. "I wanted to, uh, thank you. For not drinking with them while they celebrated me dying. I deserved it, but thank you for not drinking with them."

I shrugged. "I just think it's morally wrong to drink to a person's death, no matter how horrible they were to you. And I can't really recall anything that you did to me. Except stabbing my aunt in the stomach and cutting off my uncle's fingers. But between you and me, I thank you for the John thing."

She actually managed a small laugh, which sent her into a coughing fit. She quickly overcame it, though. "That's not the only thing I wanted to thank you for. Thank you for being my friend. The only _genuine_ friend that I've ever had."

"Well, that may be mainly do to my memory loss, but you're welcome," I told her. A thought ran through me. "Because we're friends, and you're dying anyways, can I tell you a secret?"

"Why not? It's gonna die with me," She pointed out.

Well, here went nothing. I dropped my voice to a low whisper. "I kind of kissed Stefan last night."

"You what?"

"I kissed him. Or, he kissed me. All I know is that we kissed. And I think that he likes me. I just wanted to tell someone who didn't have the time or the energy to flip out," I said. I'd had this sitting on my shoulders since last night, and I'd been wanting to talk with someone about it.

"Well, congrats," She said. "Stefan is a great guy."

"I know you loved him, Katherine," I said. "I just want you to know that he'll be in good hands."

It was silent for a couple of minutes before I broke it. "Well, it's been a fun ride. I can't remember much of it, though." I stuck my hand out. "Goodbye, Katherine Pierce."

Weakly, Katherine reached over and shook my hand. "Goodbye, Juliet Gilbert."

* * *

Elena wanted a moment alone with her doppelganger, so I made my way downstairs, where everyone was finishing off the rest of the alcohol. And by everyone, I really meant Matt, Bonnie, and Jeremy. From what I could see, Damon and Stefan were talking outside. And Caroline still wasn't back yet.

So, I went and crashed down right next to Matt. "I promise to cook your favourite for dinner tonight."

Matt raised his eyebrows. "You're gonna _cook_?"

"Okay, fine, I'll order in," I gave in. "I don't know what you have against my cooking."

"Nothing, as long as your skills don't go past making macaroni and cheese."

"Wow, Matt. You literally just crushed my dreams of becoming a professional chef."

"When have you had that dream?" He asked.

I was about to say since today when the door opened, and Caroline walked in. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say she was doing the walk of shame. I should know what it looked like, I'd done it myself.

"Where have you been?" Matt asked her.

"Oh, in the woods," She said, picking out a leaf from her hair and throwing it on the ground before she zipped up her sweater all the way. Caroline _totally_ wasn't wearing that sweater earlier. "I got lost. So what are we doing?" She asked, sitting down in a chair.

"We are waiting for Katherine to bite it," Jeremy answered.

"So, this 'Anchor' thing," Matt started, and Bonnie smiled at her friend. "Does that mean that you'll be able to feel Katherine's death, or whatever?"

"I think so," Bonnie answered. "I mean, she's human. But, she's also a doppelganger, and a Traveler, apparently."

"You'll feel her death," I said, a matter-of-factly. "Doppelgangers and Travelers are both supernatural creatures. Either way you would feel her death."

Jeremy, Bonnie, Matt, and Caroline just stared at me. "What? I do my research!"

"Anyways," Matt said, bringing back the subject to the matter at hand. "Who do you see over there? Anybody that I know?"

My heart warmed a bit when I realized that he was talking about Vicki. I scooched over more to Matt, and leaned my chin on his shoulder in a sort of comfort.

"I see lots of people," Bonnie answered eagerly. "My Grams. The other witches." Her smile sort of died, and a little less eagerly, she said, "Vicki."

Matt nodded, seemingly in understanding.

"I just don't talk about it because..." Bonnie trailed off. She turned her head to look behind her, and she half-scoffed half-laughed before turning back to face Matt.

"What's happening?" He asked.

"She's here," Bonnie said, a little somberly. "She said that she loves you."

A small smile appeared on Matt's face, and I looped my arm through his, squeezing. He turned his head to face me, dropped his head onto mine.

Bonnie turned back to where Vicki apparently was standing, before she started laughing again. Man, that must look weird in a crowd. "What? What's going on?" Matt asked, the smile still on his face. "What am I missing?"

"Me," A new voice said, and we all turn our heads to look into the doorway, where our other friend, Tyler Lockwood, stood.

"Tyler?" Caroline asked.

Tyler dropped his suitcase on the ground and avoided Caroline's gaze as he walked towards Matt. "Rebekah said to tell you that I was her parting gift."

Matt just laughed, which was a wonderful sound. It was a sound that we don't hear enough of in Mystic Falls.

Awkwardly, Tyler turned to Caroline. "Hey, Care."

Flickering her eyes up to him, she replies, "Hi, Tyler."

I guess to clear the awkward silence, I let go of Matt so that he could go and give his best friend a hug. Which reminded me, I hadn't seen Tyler since Bonnie's funeral; I missed him at the ball on Halloween.

"What, no hug for Amnesia Gilbert?" I asked as I stood up, going over to Tyler.

"I wasn't aware that you had changed your name to Amnesia," He said, giving me a hug.

"Neither did I," I said, before pulling back.

"Whatever, it suits you," He said, and Matt, Tyler, and I sat down on the same sofa.

"We've really gone through four bottles of bourbon today?" Stefan asked, and I turned my head to see him and Damon walking back into the house. I wanted nothing more than to go over to him, and wrap myself in his embrace, but I think it was too soon to let everyone know. I'd have to talk with him about it.

"And you guys claim you're not alcoholics," I said, putting my feet up onto the table.

"Oh my God..." Bonnie suddenly murmured.

Jeremy was more straight-forward, though. "Alaric?!" Jeremy exclaimed, turning his head to where Alaric must have been standing.

"Ric's here?" Damon asked.

"What's he saying?" I asked.

"He's saying that even though you have no memory, you're still the smartest out of everyone," Bonnie told me, and I felt my heart warm. "He also said that a cure for getting your memories back is hitting your head on a hard surface."

"Really?" I asked. I had tried that earlier today, it kind of worked.

"No, not really. He just wanted to feel helpful," Bonnie said.

"Well, mission _not_ accomplished, Ric," I told him. I felt kind of bad that I didn't remember him, and I was hoping everyday that I'd get my memories back. Alaric, from what I'd read, was a very important person in my life. And I wanted him back in any sort of way that I could, even if it was just memories.

"Where the hell have you been? I thought you left us to go find peace or something?" Jeremy asked him. Jeremy and Bonnie broke out into smiles, their gazes flickering over to Damon.

"He's talking about me, isn't he," Damon said, more like a statement than an answer.

"He says you're a dick," Jeremy relayed, which brought out laughter from everybody.

Damon turned back to where Jeremy was looking, holding up his glass of bourbon. "Cheers, buddy."

I looked at all of my friends, who were somehow brought closer together through the death of a person. My gaze landed on Bonnie, who looked a bit apprehensive.

"Katherine," She said, and we all turned to look at where she was staring.

"Ding dong," Damon said. "Does that mean the witch is dead?"

Bonnie scrunched her eyebrows. "She's...gone. Somehow."

"She really doesn't want to die, does she?" I asked, crossing my arms.

But of course, she'd have to eventually. Everybody knows that everybody dies. And no one knew that better than Katherine Pierce.

Then, Elena came downstairs to tell us that Katherine Pierce had finally taken her last breath.

The Girl Who Ran, ran no more.

* * *

**TBC...**

**It's 2:43 AM and I'm not particularly motivated to make this ending better so this is what you're gonna get!**

**Be happy! WE GOT REAL KLAUS AND JULIET INTERACTIONS! **

**WE FOUND OUT WHAT HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME KLAUS AND JULIET SLEPT TOGETHER! AND MAJOR THANKS TO THE DOCTOR'S CHARLENE FOR WRITING THAT SCENE FOR ME ;)**

**I just wanted to let you guys know that I have a Twitter that is just for my fanfiction account, so go follow me on there for any updates regarding any of my fanfictions, like this one. I'm DreamonAlina.**

**That's it for me!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	12. The Devil Inside

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **SO sorry for the wait! My muse was stolen by the Originals AU! I got so into it that I completely forgot that this story existed too XD

I mean, Klaus and Jules are having a _baby _in that one. Forgive me if I got so caught up in it!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Juliet, you have to let go of the doorknob!" Matt shouted, tightening his grip on my waist.

"Never!" I shouted back, clutching onto the doorknob for dear life.

"Jules, you _need_ to go back to school!"

"I am never setting foot on that campus ever again!"

"Julie! If you don't go, I'll kick you out of the house!"

"I am perfectly content with living as a hobo."

Also, Klaus left me that mansion!

"Juliet," Matt laughed, letting go of my waist. "You have to go back to school."

"I don't _have_ to do anything, Matt. This is America."

"Juliet, you already paid the tuition."

"Matt, you don't get it. _I made out with my teacher_. Not just any teacher, apparently a psychopathic one that operates on vampires! How am I supposed to look him in the eye?" I asked, finally letting go of the doorknob to cover my face.

"You don't. Just avoid him."

"And if I can't?"

"You're Juliet Gilbert," Matt said, wrapping his arm around me and pressing me to his side, kissing the side of my head. "You'll figure it out."

"And if I can't?"

"Stop being such a downer."

I huffed. "I kissed a teacher, Matt." I turned back around, and grabbed onto the doorknob to the front door. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Juliet, we can do this one of two ways. Either you can leave this house with whatever dignity that you manage to scrap up, or Caroline can get here and use her vampire strength to pry you off of that doorknob. What'll it be?"

I was about to answer that she'd have to pry my cold, dead hands off first when I heard Caroline's car pull up in the driveway. "If I were you, I would go with the dignity part."

"I'm clinging on to a door. I have no dignity," I stated.

Caroline got out of the car, and marched right up to me. She saw me sitting on the ground, and then looked over at Matt. "I thought I asked you to have her ready to go!"

"I tried. I packed her bags for her, put the lock on it, and hid the key!" Matt protested. "She just won't let go of the doorknob."

"I'll take care of that," Caroline said, and without warning, she reached down and grabbed my wrist, prying it off of the doorknob.

"Hey, no!" I protested. "Matty, help me!"

"I gave you the choice," Matt shrugged. He gave a little wave. "Have fun at college!"

"Matty blue blue, don't let her take me!" I shouted as she dragged me over to her car. "This is kidnapping! I will shout kidnapper!"

"And I will compel you to shut up unless you do so willingly," Caroline threatened, and that finally made me shut up as she pushed me into the passenger seat.

"Think of the positive side to going back," Caroline said as she got into the car, starting the engine. "When we go back, Bonnie will be waiting for ypu."

That made me smile. "Okay, that is the only upside to this. What if I see Wes again?"

"I could just compel him to forget that you two kissed," Caroline suggested.

"You could, but you'd have to get rid of the vervain in his body again, and that'll take too much time. I'm just going to avoid him at all costs. I don't have any classes with him, and I'm a fairly good runner."

"That's the spirit," Caroline said, tapping my shoulder.

I hung my head and buried my face in my hands. "I'm done for, aren't I?"

* * *

I had a few classes to attend to, since it was Friday, but when I came back to the dorm in the afternoon, Caroline was cleaning. Like, _crazy_ cleaning. She was dusting things that I didn't even know _collected _dirt: she was wiping down the window sills, everything.

"Did I miss something?" I asked as I dropped my bag and my jacket on top of my freshly made bed. Literally, all the corners had been flattened and everything. "Did we get infested with something? Did you become the new face of Mr. Clean?"

"What's wrong with wanting a clean dorm?" She asked distractedly as she leaned over the fireplace with a scrubber and a bucket.

"Nothing, as long as you're not turning into Danny Tanner from Full House," I said, crossing my arms.

There was a knock at the door, and I turned my head. "Come in!" I called out, and the door opened.

And in walked Aaron Whitmore.

I felt like the air was tight enough to choke us, but Caroline obviously didn't sense anything as she kept scrubbing away at the fireplace.

"Is she cleaning the fireplace?" Aaron asked, pointing at Caroline.

I looked back over to Caroline, who had stopped when she heard Aaron's question directed at her.

"Forgive her," I said, looking back to Aaron. "She's going through an existential crisis."

"I'm _stress cleaning_," Caroline corrected as she took her rubber gloves off. "There's a difference."

"Okay, whatever," I said, appeasing Caroline. I turned back to Aaron. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I was actually looking for Elena, but I guess this message applies to you too," He said. "Just tell her that Wes won't be a problem anymore."

He won't be a problem anymore? That literally filled me with so much joy. I had to keep myself from running up to Aaron and kissing his feet.

"My family's trust fund came through and I was able to cut off Augustine's funding," Aaron kept going.

Oh yeah. The Augustine thing. _That_ waswhat he was talking about.

"So no more vampire experiments?" Caroline asked. She was very clear about Augustine because of what happened to Jesse.

"Yeah, it's over," Aaron confirmed. "And, just tell her that I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, for everything."

I nodded, "Yeah, I'll pass on the message."

Aaron nodded in thanks, before he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him. I looked back over to Caroline, "What do _you _have to be stressed about?"

A look of panic crossed Caroline's face, but she was able to mask it quickly. "Nothing! Nothing."

"Then why are you stress cleaning?" I asked. "If you're not stressed, you wouldn't be stress cleaning."

I knew I had her. She started twitching nervously, and sighed. She opened her mouth to tell me, but the sound of my phone ringing interrupted her.

She sighed in relief as I took my phone out of my pocket. Stefan was calling, and before I answered, I pointed my finger at Caroline, "You got lucky this time," I said, and I accepted the call, putting the phone to my ear. "World's Best Traveler calling, how I help you?"

I could hear the smile in Stefan's voice as he said, "Since you offered, I need a favour. You know how Damon was trying to be all noble by breaking up with Elena?"

"Yup," I said, the sight of Damon passed out on the Mystic Grill's bar table flashing in my mind. I turned the phone on speaker as I put it down on the dressing table so I could change into something more comfortable.

"Well, I kind of convinced him he was an idiot," Stefan said.

"Wait, you what?" Caroline spoke up.

"Is the phone on speaker?" Stefan asked.

"Yup," I said again.

"Would have been nice to know," He commented, and then he continued. "Anyways, now Damon is in a bit of a mood, and something tells me he's been trying to get a hold of Elena but she's ignoring his phone calls."

"Look, I would _love_ to help, if I thought he was actually good for her, but I don't," Caroline told him.

"Which is exactly why I called Jules, her sister, who only wants her to be happy," Stefan said. "Right, Jules? Besides, Caroline, how would you like to be judged solely based on who you were attracted to?"

"Why, do you know something?" She asked, and the panicky look came back on to her face.

"Why, _should_ I know something?" He asked. It wouldn't surprise me, since Caroline and Stefan were best friends.

"Stefan's got a point," I said, taking the attention off of Caroline, who obviously looked like she wanted to die. "When I was sleeping with Klaus, you all thought it was a bad idea. But look, he helped out a lot more because he was. It was a win-win situation."

I noticed Caroline slightly tense when I brought up _sleeping with_ and _Klaus. _That was when it clicked.

Klaus told me that there was one other person he wanted to talk to, and Caroline didn't come back from the woods until long after night fell. Oh, did they do what I think they did? I fought against the grin that was crossing my face. Klaus and I were _so _talking later.

"Besides, I just wanna make sure that the three of us are doing what's best for her," Caroline said quickly. "I mean, Elena and Damon, or Damon and Elena, I know there is a nickname in there somewhere."

"Listen, I actually think that Elena is good for Damon. She makes him happy," Stefan said. "And we all know that when Damon is happy-"

"He's not killing people," I finished.

"Which is a plus for man kind," Caroline threw in.

"Exactly," Stefan concluded.

"But even if we wanted to help, she's not here," Caroline said.

"Wait, I thought she was just in class?" I pondered. Where was my sister?

"No, I thought she was with Stefan," Caroline said.

"She told me that she was staying at Whitmore," Stefan said.

"Okay, that is weird," I thought out loud. "And not like Elena at all."

"Where the hell is she?" Caroline asked the question we were all thinking.

"Listen, Stefan, I'm gonna try calling her, and then we'll call you back, okay?" I told him, going over to my dresser and picking up the phone. "Talk to you later."

"Bye," Stefan said, and we both hung up.

I dialed Elena's number, but the call went straight to voice mail. "Elena, we're all worried about you. Where are you? Call me back," I told her. I hung up, and turned to Caroline. Time to bring Klaus up. Oh, this should be fun. "Caroline, remember the night that Katherine died?"

Caroline fought to control her nervousness as she said, "Yeah, of course."

"And Matt got kidnapped by her devil child?" I went on.

"Yeah, of course," She said.

"You didn't really get lost in the woods, did you?" I asked, a devilish grin crossing my face.

"What? Of-of course I got lost," She said. She stood up and turned around, fixing the pillows on the little chair that we had. "I said I got lost, so I got lost. The woods is a confusing place. It's all full of trees and shrubs that all look the same."

"The woods is also a great place of concealment," I commented, crossing my arms. The smile never left my face as I said, "You know, I ran into Klaus."

Caroline froze for a second, before she went back to cleaning. "Did you? What was he doing here? Did he want something?"

"He said he came here to watch Katherine die," I began. "To see me, and-" I took a dramatic pause. "To see you. Said that he hadn't said goodbye to you properly."

Okay, I was stretching the truth, but I knew what buttons to press on Caroline Forbes, and I knew how to play them just right. "Did he ever find you?"

"Yeah, he did," She said, finally turning around to face me. "He said goodbye, I insulted him, that was it."

I had caught her. "Why did you ask what Klaus was doing here if you had run into him too?"

Caroline knew I had caught her too. "Uh-uhh..." She stammered, and I pursed my lips together, tapping my fingers on my arm, and tapping my foot, waiting for her answer. "Caroline Forbes, what kind of a best friend are you?"

She huffed, scrunching up her face and covering her hands. "Fine! I slept with Klaus, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

I couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. I snorted as I covered my face.

"What?" She asked. "Don't act like it's a bad thing! You slept with him too! More than once, if I can remember correctly!"

I tried to stop laughing, I really did, but a few giggles erupted out of my chest as I tried speaking. "No, I'm not acting like it's a bad thing. It's just...you're freaking out over nothing. So you slept with him! So what?"

She froze. "Wait, that's it? 'So what'? That's all you're gonna say?"

"I kind of got the impression that you two had slept together after you showed up to the house _long_ after we had found Matt," I said. "And you came in doing the Walk of Shame. I should know, I've done it before too."

I walked over to her, wrapping my arm around her. "You just need to know that I am proud of you for finally giving into Klaus and jumping his bones."

Caroline had a mortified look on her face as she pushed my arm off of her. "Juliet Gilbert!"

"What?" I asked, feigning innocence. "Do you have any idea how long I've been apparently waiting for this day? All my diaries would ever talk about was how much I wanted you and Klaus to be together! I even came up with a nickname for you two! Klaroline! Genius, isn't it? It's like, you take Klaus and Caroline, and-"

"Julie, I get it!" Caroline snapped, and I shut my mouth, putting my hands around my back. I just gave her a knowing look, and she burst into laughter. "Okay! Okay, I'm sorry. And thank you, for making this easy. I feel like a horrible person."

"Trust me, the first time I did it, I apparently felt horrible too," I said. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and it was a text from Stefan, asking if we were going to help or not. I grabbed my jacket as I said, "The second time was a little better, and then all the times after you forget because the sex was worth it."

Caroline would have blushed if she was human, and she playfully punched me on the arm as she said, "Not funny!"

"It is, actually," I said, walking towards the door. "Are you coming or not?"

* * *

On our way back to Mystic Falls, Caroline called Bonnie (who had gone to visit her mother with Jeremy) and asked her if either of them had heard from Elena. The answer was no.

And that was exactly what she had relayed to Stefan when we got to the Mystic Grill, where he and Damon had been playing pool. I resisted the urge to kiss his cheek, and instead crossed my arms across my chest and clenched my fists.

"Who invited you?" Damon asked, gesturing to Caroline. He wiggled his fingers at her. "Scram."

Rolling my eyes, I aimed my hand at Damon's head as I incantated, "_Evhas elebuk estupay_."

I got what I was going for, and Damon groaned in pain as he clutched at his head. I stopped the spell when I saw the judgmental look on Stefan's face. "He was asking for it!" I defended.

"I forgot about you being a Traveler," He grumbled, shaking the last of the pain off.

"Thank you, Jules," Caroline said, giving me a proud smile.

"I invited them," Stefan said, turning to Damon. "They agreed to help you get Elena back."

"What?" Damon asked. "You two? Well, Jules is a push over, I get that, but Caroline?" He pointed at her. "You hate me. You once told me that calling me Satan was an insult to Satan."

Caroline caught Stefan's eye, and he seemed to be saying "Just lie if you have to."

"Well, nobody's perfect," She said with an impossibly fake smile.

Damon looked over to his brother. "This is what it's come to? You brought me love advice from Prudy Trudy-" a look over to Caroline "-and the Girl Who Sleeps With the Enemy?" He asked, looking over at me.

"I'll have you know that I can be unpredictable," Caroline defended. "And incredibly reckless!"

I covered up my laugh with a cough when I remembered that she had slept with Klaus. I also couldn't help but feel insulted at the tone that Damon had used when he was talking about me. "Let's be real here Damon, Klaus is a way better villain and lover than you'll ever be," I said, a smirk on my face.

"How would you know?" Damon asked. "You've never slept with me."

I glanced over at Caroline (who _has_ slept with both men) and I was about to say "But Caroline has", but that would have made me the worst best friend _ever_. Instead, I said, "It's just speculation."

Damon looked between Caroline, Stefan, and I. "What's going on here? Are you guys _babysitting_ me?"

"We're just hanging out," Stefan said innocently. "Chattin'."

"I don't need this," Damon announced, and he turned to Caroline and I. "And I don't need your help."

He swiftly turned and left, leaving the three of us.

"Well, I guess you better try Elena again," Stefan suggested.

"Yup," I said, dragging the word out as I fished my phone from out of my back pocket.

I left her a few more voice mails, and just as I was about to put my phone away, I got a text from Tyler.

_Party at my place tonight. You in?_

I looked up from my phone, and exchanged glances with Stefan and Caroline. "Who's up for a party?"

* * *

"I forgot how big the Lockwood Mansion was," I commented as I walked into the house. Matt came by and invited Stefan, who was standing beside me, in, and we walked further into the house.

"You've seemed to forget a lot of things," Stefan said as he grabbed a cup to pour some beer. "I don't know how this has come as a surprise to you."

I playfully punched him on the arm as he held up the cup towards me. "A beer for the lady," He said in his best British accent.

"Why thank you," I said, taking cup. "Somehow I like your accent better than Klaus's."

"Yeah, speaking of Klaus," He said as he poured himself some more beer. "Was he really as good as you keep saying he is?"

I just about choked on the liquid. It already burned going down, so getting it caught in your throat wasn't exactly the best feeling. "What?" I asked, wiping my chin of any beer that had dribbled down my face.

"You heard me," He asked with a grin, lifting his own cup to his lips.

I rested the rim of my cup beside my lips. "Why, are you jealous?" I asked as I tapped the cup with my fingers.

Before Stefan could answer, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted us. We both looked over, and saw Elena.

"Hey," She said.

"Look who's alive," I said as I leaned over and gave her a one armed hug. She was a little stiff against me for half a second, but she hugged me back.

"Of course I'm alive," Elena giggled as I pulled back. She looked down at the cup in Stefan's hand. "Wow, Stefan Salvatore is drinking beer out of a cup," She said, and grabbed the cup right out of his hand. "Do you want me to show you where Tyler keeps the bourbon?" She asked as she sipped out of it, turning and walking in a different direction.

Stefan and I slyly shared a confused glance, before we both turned back to Elena. "No, I'm trying to stay off the hard stuff," He said to her. He turned around and whispered, "I should go and see if I can get anything out of her. Like where she's been."

I nodded. "Yeah, you go. I have to go find the bathroom, anyways."

Stefan carefully looked around the room, and when he was sure no one that we knew was looking, he leaned down and swiftly kissed my forehead, before turning around and going after Elena.

I couldn't help but smile at the tingly sensation that his kiss left behind. I turned around, and finally noticed how _big_ the Lockwood mansion was. And by the looks of it, everyone was too drunk to give me directions.

"Perfect," I grumbled to myself as I took off.

* * *

I was walking past one of the rooms, _still looking for the bathroom_, when I heard Tyler say, "Don't take another step, Caroline."

Okay, it sounded like they were arguing about something, but at least Tyler knew where the bathroom was!

I walked into the room where I heard him just in time for him to shout, "I SAID LEAVE!"

I looked at Caroline, who had backed away in fear and was trying to conceal her tears. Then, I looked at Tyler, who's eyes were yellow, apparently the sign of a werewolf.

Well, a Mad Werewolf certainly wasn't going to help, so I stupidly ran so that I was standing in front of Caroline, and lifted my hands in front of me. With all of my might, I pictured shoving Tyler against the wall. I didn't exactly know the spell for it, but I hoped against hope that everything I was feeling would be enough for it to work.

And it did! An invisible force pushed Tyler against the wall, where he hit his head, and I used one hand to keep him there.

"What the hell did you do?" He groaned.

"Doesn't matter," I said, trying not to lose focus. I rolled my eyes when I saw the mess of alcohol and broken glass on the ground, and Tyler's dilated pupils. "You're drunk. What the hell is going on here?"

"Oh, you don't know?" He asked, looking between me and Caroline. I looked behind me at my blonde best friend, who was trying her best not to try.

"She screwed Klaus," He finished, as if it were some big deal.

I looked back at Tyler, and and slightly squeezed my hand into a fist. "_Evhas elebuk estupay_!" I breathed, and Tyler groaned in pain, clutching at his head.

"You know what, Tyler?" I asked. "I did know. At least I'm not the only one who's screwed Klaus now," I said, and looked behind me at Caroline, offering her a smile. "We are _so_ getting jackets."

She smiled a bit through her tears, and I gestured for her to leave. It looked like she didn't want to at first, but then Stefan walked into the room, taking in what was going on. "What happened?" He asked.

"Just get Caroline out of here, okay?" I asked him, before turning back to Tyler. "If I can recall correctly, you picked Klaus, too."

And with a quick motion of my hand, I made Tyler's pain worse, before relaxing my hand, letting him drop to the ground. I turned around, and went right for Caroline, wrapping my arm around her shaking form. "Let's just get you out of here."

She nodded as she held on to my arms. I looked over my shoulder at Stefan, who said, "I'm gonna go see if I can find Damon, okay? Take her somewhere where she can calm down."

I nodded. "I intend to."

* * *

I ended up just taking Caroline back to her Mom's place. Sheriff Forbes looked like she wanted to ask what was going on, but I assured her I could take care of it, and sent her off to bed, since she still had to go to work in the morning.

I made Caroline and I cups of tea, and sat her down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, where I made a fire.

I grabbed my cup, taking a sip from it as I sat down next to Caroline. We sat next to each other in silence for a bit before Caroline spoke up. "You didn't have to hurt him."

I sighed. "Yeah, I did. Either you got hurt, or he did. Besides, you don't deserve that, Caroline," I said, putting my cup down.

She sighed too, putting her cup down. "I just wish you'd tell me how horrible of a person I am."

"Caroline, wanting yourself to be happy isn't a bad thing," I told her. "Besides. We've all felt an attraction to Klaus."

"Elena didn't."

"Elena's a liar."

"Bonnie didn't."

"She's a liar, too. Plus, if my diary's memory can remember correctly, she thought Kol was hot."

"What about Stefan, hmm?"

"Don't get me started on him. Who knows what those two were up to back in 1912, anything was possible-"

"Julie," Caroline laughed. As quick as she laughed, she went serious. "So we've both been attracted to Klaus. You were the only one that ever acted on it."

I lifted a shoulder, remembering what my diaries had written at the time. "Truth be told, I was...lonely," I said. "You had Tyler, Stefan had Elena, Bonnie had Jeremy, and Damon just screwed whoever was at the Grill that day," I finished, and she laughed again. "I had no one. I was in need of comforting, and Klaus offered it to me."

"Now look where you two are," She said. "You don't talk."

I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean? We talk every day."

"What?"

"Yeah. I call him, or he calls me. We're gotten past the point of awkward, Caroline," I said. "Now we just laugh about it, and we're best friends. That sounds weird."

Caroline laughed again, and I wrapped my arm around her, giving her a one armed hug. She leaned into my touch, leaning her head on my shoulder.

There was a knock at the door, and I told Caroline to stay on the couch so I could go answer it. I opened the door, and smiled when I saw Stefan on the other side. I stepped outside, and shut the door behind me. I stood on my tip toes, and stole a quick kiss.

"How is she?" Stefan asked when I pulled back.

"She's okay," I answered. "She's still a little shaken up, but she'll be fine. I'm gonna stay the night, then take her back to Whitmore in the morning. We're gonna go all out and have a girl's night."

"You're leaving again?" He asked.

I lifted my shoulders. "What do you want me to do, Stefan? I told you when we were locked in that safe that I'd go back to Whitmore if you could get through your PTSD. I'm just holding up my side of the deal."

"True," Stefan agreed, and he leaned down and captured my lips again.

I couldn't help but giggle as he kissed me, but there was something that's been bugging me ever since we first kissed. Something that I've been constantly trying to shove away, but it kept resurfacing.

I pulled away from Stefan, and he must have thought someone was truly wrong by the look on my face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Can I ask you something?" I started, and Stefan nodded, gesturing for me to continue. I took a deep breath. "After all this time, what made you like me? I mean, for so long I've always thought it was going to be Elena, so I kind of gave up and it was truly the only reason I ever slept with Klaus. I just, I wanna know. Why did you change your mind?"

Stefan sighed, thinking about his answer. "Truthfully?"

I gave him a look. "Does it look like I want a half assed answer?"

"When I was in that safe, all I could think about was your screams, your cries, after Silas threw you into that tree," He started. "All I could think about was that I left you alone with him. Were you dead? Were you alive? The guilt just ate away at me. And that's when I realized that it _wasn't_ just guilt. The thought of you dying hit me like a freight train, because the thought of Juliet Gilbert, who never put herself before anybody, Juliet Gilbert, who had always been there for me ever since the beginning, Juliet Gilbert, who matters so much to me, not being in this world, made me wanna stay dead, because I couldn't protect you. And when I didn't have my memories, it was like a clean slate. Even though I didn't particularly appreciate the fact that you had inflicted pain in my mind, I thought it was really brave-brave, but stupid-of you to stand up to a vampire to protect your friends. And then all my memories came back. Everything we've ever done for each other, all our jokes, all our fun, made me like you more. And then you helped me when I was in that safe, again, I admired your bravery, and you cared so much about me that you refused to leave a safe with a panicking vampire." He took a deep breath. "I like you. A _lot_. I don't know about love, but-"

I put my finger on his lips, silencing him. "We don't need to go there yet," I said, tears building up in my eyes. Happy with my answer, I leaned forward, and gave him a short kiss.

Stefan, however, didn't want to keep it short. When I tried pulling away, he bit my bottom lip, keeping me there as he ran his hands through my hair. I kissed him back, but I had to pull away. "Stefan, what if someone sees us?" I asked. "I don't want this to be how our friends find out."

Stefan sighed again, leaning his face away from me. "Fine. Are you and Caroline going to be okay for the rest of the night?"

I grinned in triumph. "Did you see how I pinned Tyler to the wall using my magic today?"

Stefan smiled, and nodded. "Yes, I did."

"Then I think Caroline and I are going to be just fine," I answered. Stefan leaned over and gently kissed my cheek, before he vamp sped home. I smiled, brushing my fingers over my lips as I leaned back on the door of Caroline's house. I took a few minutes for me, before I walked back inside.

I went over to where Caroline was watching TV, and grabbed my purse, taking out my wallet. "I'm gonna go get us some pizza. I'll be back."

"Why don't you just ask them to deliver?" She asked.

"Because the place I want to go doesn't deliver for some reason," I answered. "Pick out some movies for us to watch, and I'll be back in thirty minutes or less. Let's hope it's thirty minutes, I really want free pizza."

I stepped back outside into the cold early spring air, and just about jumped out of my skin when I came face to face with Elena. "God! Don't do that."

"Sorry, JJ, I didn't mean to scare you," She said. "What are you doing outside of Caroline's house?"

I groaned, thinking back to what happened with Tyler. I would have to apologize for that later. "Long story short, Tyler was being a dick to Caroline, so I brought her home, and we're gonna do a girl's night before we go back to Whitmore tomorrow." I pointed behind me with my thumb. "Wanna join us? I'm gonna go get a pizza, and Caroline's picking out movies for us to watch."

Elena nodded. "Yeah, sure."

I smiled, tapping her shoulder. "Great, I'll be back soon."

It was when I stepped a few steps away from the house did I realize what Elena had actually _said_. I spun around on my heels just as Elena started walking inside. "Elena, wait!"

She turned around. "What? I want a diet Coke."

"No, it's not that, I already know that," I said. "It's just...what did you just call me?"

Elena faltered for a second, before she composed herself. "What do you mean?"

"Just a second ago, you said you didn't mean to scare me," I started. "But you called me 'JJ'." There was only one person that ever called me JJ, and that person should be rotting six feet under.

Elena hesitated, trying to think of a response. And that's when I realized that somehow, this _wasn't_ Elena. "Katherine?" I said, not wanting to believe it. How did she put herself into Elena?

_"But, she's also a doppelganger, and a Traveler, apparently," _Bonnie's words rang in my ears.

_"You'll feel her death. Doppelgangers and Travelers are both supernatural creatures," _I remembered myself saying.

Bonnie didn't feel Katherine's death. She _didn't feel her death_.

"The Passenger spell," I breathed, looking back up at Elena-or, Katherine. "You used the Passenger spell to put yourself into Elena, didn't you?"

Katherine dropped her Elena façade as she rolled her eyes. "I should have figured that you'd be the first one to figure it out."

Panicking, I lifted my hand to incantate the pain infliction spell so I could stall her long enough to call Stefan, or even get Caroline out of the house. "Evhas elebuk-"

Katherine sped up to me with her new vampire speed, and grabbed a hold of my wrist, twisting it to the side until the point where it broke. I screamed in agony, and Katherine used the opportunity to rip my vervain necklace off of my neck. I felt naked without it on, but Katherine didn't give me much of a chance to relax as she grabbed the back of my head.

"Shut up," She compelled, and without my vervain to render her mind compulsion useless, I was forced to shut my mouth as I moaned in misery.

She began compelling me again. "You're going to think that you broke your wrist tripping over a rock on Caroline's front yard," She said. "And you're going to forget that I'm in Elena's body."

"I'm gonna forget you're in Elena's body," I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth.

She was about to let me go, but she grabbed my chin firmly. "You're going to forget that you're in love with Stefan Salvatore."

Tears streamed down my face as I repeated, "I'm going to forget that I'm in love with Stefan Salvatore."

"You're not going to accept his advances anymore," She said. "And if he asks what's wrong, you're going to tell him that you changed your mind and that a relationship between the two of you was too risky and not worth it to you."

I choked out the words back to her, my heart breaking in half.

"And," She continued. "You're going to help me get Stefan back. You're going to do whatever you can to help me get Stefan back."

"I'm going to whatever I can to help you get Stefan back," I said back to her.

"And Katherine Pierce is dead."

"Katherine Pierce is dead."

"Now, forget everything that just happened between us," She finished, throwing me to the ground.

I blinked once, and I tumbled to the ground. I landed on my left wrist, and yelped in pain. I looked over at it, and it was bent at an odd angle.

"Juliet!" Elena's voice said, and I looked up to see her kneeling next to me. "Are you okay?"

"No," I groaned, poking at the sensitive skin at my wrist. "I think I broke my wrist. How'd I fall?"

"Don't ask me," She said. "I was just about to go into the house when I heard you fall."

"Help a sister out?" I asked as I wrapped my arm around Elena. She supported me as she pulled me up. "Take me to a hospital."

"Why? I can just feed you my blood," She said as I cradled my wrist to my chest.

"Pre-Coma Juliet didn't like drinking vampire blood," I told her. "So Post-Coma Juliet doesn't either."

Elena ran inside, got Caroline, and Caroline grabbed her keys as they took me to Caroline's car.

On my way to the hospital, I had this sinking feeling in my stomach. One that I couldn't shake off. Like something bad was going to happen, but I didn't care.

* * *

**TBC...**

**DUN**

**DUN**

**DUN!**

**Yeah, I'm horrible LOL. And before you guys say anything, Travelers can be compelled, because Nadia was compelled by Silas to hold the gun to her chest in the third episode of the season.**

**HOW IS THIS GOING TO AFFECT JEFAN?**

**I TOLD YOU GUYS NOT TO GET USED TO IT LOL**

**Also, you can thank the most recent reviewer on this story for the inspiration to write the chapter.**


	13. Total Eclipse of the Heart

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Here is another update!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Do you know how _hard _it is to accessorize a cast?" I grumbled to Elena as I struggled with the watch I was trying to put on my left wrist.

Elena was stuffing her textbooks into her bag so we could leave for class, which started in fifteen minutes. "Well, if anyone can pull off a cast, it's you, Jules."

I smiled at her in the mirror. It's a miracle, but last night at Caroline's, the two of us decided to bury the hatchet. Well, after Elena apologized for trying to kill me.

I growled as I threw the watch on to my dresser. "Are pocket watches back in style yet?" I asked as I globbed on some mascara.

"I don't think so," Elena said as she put on some lip gloss.

I sighed. "That's what I thought. Oh well." I was about to turn away from the mirror, when I noticed one thing. My hand when to my throat. "Hey...where's my necklace?"

"What necklace?" Elena asked as she ran a brush through her hair.

"My necklace that had vervain in it," I said, and I began rifling through the stuff on my dresser. "I'm not wearing. I'm _always_ wearing it."

Elena shrugged. "Maybe you lost it."

"What am I supposed to do if a vampire compels me?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Look, there aren't any vampires here who would _want_ to compel you," Elena said. "Besides, you're a Traveler. You can always do a spell to make them stop."

"That's true," I huffed. Oh well. Looks like I'll just have to live without it. I grabbed my bag, and turned to face her. "I have to get to Psychology, but I'll see you third, okay?"

She smilde brightly. "Okay! See you!"

I happily left the dorm room. Finally, things in my life were getting back on track.

Well, except for the broken wrist.

* * *

It was hard to focus in Psychology that day. I was one of the last people to arrive to class, and I had noticed something very odd.

Aaron Whitmore missed class.

And Aaron Whitmore _never_ misses class.

I didn't know why I was so preoccupied with it. So the kid missed one day of class? So what? Maybe he had gotten sick.

But even if Aaron was sick, he would still come to class. I would know, I fought a cold for a week after getting it from him, because he had come to class sick as a dog.

The thought of Aaron not being in class was still stuck in my mind as I made my way to my class that I shared with Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie. In fact, I wasn't even listening to what Caroline was saying until we actually _got_ to the classroom.

"So we all agree," She started. "No more moping about life's little failures. And no more dabbling in the dark arts of boyfriends' past." She spun on her heel. "This is a _fresh _start."

"I couldn't agree more," Elena commented. "I happen to love fresh starts."

"Um, I haven't been moping _or_ dabbling," Bonnie stated as she sat down in one of the chairs.

"Hate to say it, but neither have I," I said as I sat next to Bonnie, and then Elena sat down next to me."I happen to be in a good place with Klaus in our friendship."

"No one likes a bragger, guys," Caroline said as she sat down beside Elena. "Today is the dawning of a new era," Caroline continued happily. "This is stage one in our metamorphisis into the land of the brave, the free, and the single."

"Bonnie's not single," Elena blurted.

"Bonnie's _best friends_ are single. Which makes her single adjacent," Caroline clarified. She reached into her bag and pulled out a flyer, handing it to Elena. "So she can be our wingwoman!"

The poster had a broken heart on it, and read, "Whitmore's Annual Bitter Ball."

Elena read the title out loud. "'A night to celebrate broken hearts, jilted lovers, and bitter singles'," She read. She turned to Caroline, holding up the poster. "_This_ is our fresh start?"

"No, this is our _purge_," Caroline explained. "Our cleanse. This is where we rid ourselves from the baggage better known as our tragic and mortifying first semester."

"I'll drink to that," Elena muttered.

"I feel like college kids try to find any excuse to drink," I said, and looked over at Bonnie. "Right, Bon-Bon?"

She wasn't paying attention to me, but rather on the girl who was spinning her pen around. Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal.

However, this is Whitmore college. _Nothing_ is normal. The girl was spinning her pen around, but she wasn't touching the pen.

Either she's telekinetic, or she has magic. Honestly, I think the latter is more believable.

The girl looked over at us, and noticed us staring. Immediately, she slammed her hand down on the pen, ceasing all movements. She looked away, avoiding our gazes.

"Guys!" Caroline called, and we both looked over to her. "Are you two in or not?"

"Yeah!" Bonnie said quickly. "Sounds like fun."

I shook off what I had just seen. "Even though I'm not bitter, I'll come. However, I will _not_ be drinking."

I do _not_ want a repeat of last time I drank at a Whitmore party.

* * *

My phone buzzed in my pocket as I walked back to my dorm room after my final class of the day. I fished it out of my back pocket, and checked the caller ID.

It was Stefan. I debated not answering, but eventually did it anyways. "Hello?"

"Hey," Stefan greeted. "I need to talk to you, but I didn't wanna do it over the phone."

"Why?" I asked, stopping in front of my dorm room. I balanced my phone on my shoulder as I dug through my bag to get my key. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Let's just say that it involves Enzo," Stefan said as I unlocked the door and walked into the room. Elena and Caroline were sitting on Caroline's bed.

"What's up with Enzo?" I asked, my mind drifting back to the British vampire who had been Damon's cellmate in Augustine.

"Who are you talking to?" Elena mouthed.

"Stefan," I mouthed back.

Elena suddenly leaped off of the bed as I turned back to my phone call. "Like I said before, I don't think it should be over the phone. It involves Elena too, technically."

"Give me the phone!" Elena demanded, and I handed my phone to her without a second thought.

"Stefan! It's Elena," She said. "You said you wanna talk to Jules? And it involves me?" Stefan said something on his end, and Elena grinned. "Well, Caroline's dragging us to this Bitter Ball thing. It's for people with lonely hearts. You should come!"

I set my bag on my bed as I went to change into more party appropriate clothing. I looked through my dresser as I heard Elena say, "Please? If it's bad, I'll owe you a fun time."

I couldn't help but smile. She was trying to win Stefan back. Good for her, Stefan was always the better brother. For some reason, I felt myself wanting to help her get Stefan back.

I guess as long as they're both happy. That's what I want. Elena to have Stefan again.

* * *

"You know, despite this being a _bitter_ ball," I said as Elena, Caroline, and I walked in. "Everyone here is pretty happy."

Elena rolled her eyes as she picked up a blackened corsage. "A _dead_ corsage?"

Caroline grinned as she took it out of Elena's hand. "Thank you."

While those two went through the crowd, I made my way to the dance floor. Considering this was a dance for bitter singles, there were a lot of people slow dancing. I can only predict there's gonna be a lot of hook ups tonight.

I was about to turn around to find Elena and Caroline again, when I felt a hand grab mine. I barely had enough time to look behind me, and the person twirled me before bringing me in close.

I was about to smack whoever did it, but I stopped when I saw that it was Stefan. "Stefan, hey!"

"Hey," He said, his hand slowly moving up the small of my back. Uh, what's he doing? "You look beautiful."

"Uh, thanks?" I said, though it was more like a question. I pushed myself away from him gently. I got that Stefan was trying to compliment me, but why was he using such an oddly seductive tone of voice?

He took notice of my patched up wrist. "What happened to your wrist?" He asked with a frown. He took my wrist gently, looking it over.

"Oh. I got into a fight with Caroline's driveway and her driveway won," I answered. "I tripped. And I didn't want to drink vampire blood because apparently, the people in our town have a bad habit of turning into a vampires. I am perfectly content as a Traveler, thank you very much."

"Are you okay, though?"

"I'll be fine. It'll take a couple weeks to heal, it wasn't too bad of a break."

Stefan sighed in relief, dropping my wrist. "Thank God," He said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He looked around himself in the room. "So who comes up with these things?"

"Lonely single people who are obviously looking for a one night stand," I answered. "Everyone here is too heartbroken to be in an actual relationship so soon, but they're also not above sleeping with other people to a) make themselves feel better, b) make their exes jealous, and c) sleep with other people for the hell of it."

Stefan turned back to the dance floor. "Well, _we're_ not lonely single people, so let's dance."

Before I could mention that I _was_ a lonely single person, Stefan took my hand and led me out to the dance floor. One dance between friends wouldn't hurt Elena's chances to get back together with Stefan, would it?

I put my hands on his shoulders so that we were arms length apart. Yes, arms length is friendly, right?

Awkwardly, Stefan pulled me a little closer to him as his hands ran up and down my back. What the heck is Stefan doing? We're not together.

I just kept my hands on his shoulders as I prayed for this dance not to last long. "So, how has college been?"

"I feel like I've been out of college more than I've been in," I answered. "What about you? How has post-high school life been treating you?"

"Pretty much the same as every post-high school life I've had," Stefan smirked. He brought me closer, and I tried not to squirm. "How is Elena holding up? You know, after her break up with Damon."

I was honestly pretty surprised when I found out. Damon has done a bunch of terrible things, and _now_ she dumps him?

I really shouldn't judge, though. I've had a relationship with Klaus. Well, sort of.

"Pretty okay, as far as break ups go," I answered. "She isn't _as_ bummed out as she was before. In fact, she's starting to enjoy life more."

"Then I feel bad," Stefan said, twirling me once more.

"Why?" I asked as he brought me even closer.

"Because Damon has gotten himself into some bad stuff after she dumped him," He answered.

"Does this have to do with Enzo?"

"Yeah. He went off the rocker, and killed Aaron Whitmore," Stefan told me.

My heart stopped. The words didn't seem to register.

Aaron Whitmore was dead.

Damon killed Aaron Whitmore.

Was _that _why Aaron wasn't in class? He didn't attend because Damon cut him off the list. Forever.

I stopped dancing. "What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"Damon killed Aaron Whitmore?" I repeated. I didn't know why I was so worked up over this. Maybe because this was the first of my friends that Damon's killed? I didn't know, but I had a bad feeling in my stomach.

"Yeah," Stefan repeated. "Something about wanting to finally end the Whitmore line."

"Oh my God," I breathed.

Stefan wrapped his arms around me. "Hey, it's okay. I'm going to get him back to normal. I promise. No one else is going to die."

I let myself relish in the support. I'm glad I had Stefan's support. He truly was my very best friend.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I broke the hug to turn around. I saw Elena, who was smiling brightly. "Hey! Mind if I cut in?"

Elena's eyes were begging me to let her be alone with Stefan, and what kind of sister would I be if I was in the way of the two of them? "No, not at all. I was actually going to go look for a bathroom."

I looked over to Stefan, who looked like he wanted me to stay. But after a glance at Elena, he nodded. "Sure. Find me later?"

I nodded back. "Yeah, sure."

I ducked away from the two of them as Elena put her arms around Stefan's neck, moving much closer to him than I had been. I wasn't that far from the bathroom when I felt a tap on my arm.

I turned and saw Bonnie, who had this frightened expression on her face. My stomach immediately dropped. "Bonnie? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," She assured me.

"But Jeremy won't be," A new voice said, and Damon came out of the shadows. "That is, unless you help us. Well, help _me_."

I choked out a laugh. "Yeah, that's gonna happen."

"If you don't," Damon said, walking towards me. He held up his phone, and my stomach came back up, twisted into knots, and dropped back to my feet when I recognized the person in the picture to be a tied up, bloody Jeremy. "Time's gonna run out, and Jeremy's gonna be dead. Again."

Tears filled my eyes as anger filled my stomach. I lifted my hand to inflict the pain spell, but Damon had vamp sped in front of me, grabbing my hand and squeezing, hard. So hard that it was starting to cut off my circulation. "Unless you want another broken wrist, I would suggest you not try anything."

I looked over to Bonnie, who looked like she wanted to desperately cry. I looked back to Damon, who had a bored, annoyed look on his face.

Through my frustrated tears, I said, "What do you need me to do?"

* * *

"Just be warned," I said as I sat in front of the map, the napkin with Wes's blood (the man I was _specifically _trying to avoid) in my hands. "I'm still really new to the whole _Traveler_ thing. Also, Traveler magic is different from Traditional magic. I don't know if this Locator spell is even gonna _work_."

"It's worth a shot," Damon said from the other end of the room. "Or Little Gilbert's neck is gonna snap just like-" A quick snap of his fingers. "-That."

I sent Damon a glare as Bonnie said, "Focus. Just concentrate on tapping into your powers. Do you remember the Locator spell for Travelers?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said. I studied the Traveler book Tessa gave me back to back many times. Then I remembered a crucial detail of the Traveler Locator spell. "But it's different for Travelers. We have to do it over fire, to see the actual images of where the person is."

"Well, we don't have the time," Damon barked. "Besides, Tessa kept saying how you were a different type of Traveler. What's the point of a pathetic person like you having these great old powers if you can't even use them right? Are you really going to just let your ancestors down by being a failure?"

Damon's words sent a fire of determination through my veins, and I closed my eyes as I did as Bonnie told me. I pushed all thoughts of Jeremy, Aaron, and Stefan and his weird behaviour away from me as I pictured Wes's face. The words of the Locator spell appeared right in front of his picture.

"_Ole heldhat eina odvozniti," _I incantated. The wind around me started to pick up, but I didn't give it any attention as I focused on the spell, the napkin, Wes's face. I felt a sort of twinge in my arms, like someone had dumped cement on them and they were starting to harden, but I continued. "_Ole heldhat eina odvozniti,"_ I said again, and through my closed eyelids, I saw the candles that Bonnie had set up around me light up. I kept my attention on the spell. The twingey feeling moved from my arms to all over my body, which started to develop into a deep ache. "_Ole heldhat eina odvozniti_," I breathed, and this time, I heard the light bulbs in the room break. A pounding headache began forming, and add that to my body pains and stiff muscles, I would probably be out on the ground right now. But then I thought back to Jeremy, and ignored the pain as I pressed on. "_Ole heldhat eina odvozniti_," I said one final time, and my eyelids flew open at the sound of crashing and breaking glass, and I was surprised to see the chandelier that was hanging above us now shattered to pieces in front of the table, and all the candles in the room blown out.

I instantly wavered, my balance going awry. It was like I didn't have enough energy to maintain my balance, so I went falling to the left, crashing my head to the ground. I felt so physically _drained_. I haven't used so much power all at once before. My eyelids immediately started drooping, and I felt a warm stickiness above my upper lip. I brought my fingers up to my nose, and when I brought them back, they were stained with blood. Great. I had gotten a nosebleed.

"Julie? Julie!" Bonnie's worried voice called out, but I felt like her voice was more of an echo, like she was far away instead of right beside me. Two hands grabbed each of my arms, and another set of arms supported my back as I was sat up. I felt a scratchy material touch my nose, and my blood started going into the tissue instead of all over the place. I fought through my dizziness, and I could decipher two Bonnies. I reached out to the one on the left. "Bonnie?" I whispered, feeling the space on the left for her. But all I felt was air.

A cool hand gently grabbed my chin and tilted my head up. "She's disoriented," Bonnie's echoey voice said, and suddenly, the two Bonnies mushed together to form one again. "I'm surprised she hasn't passed out yet."

"Why is she acting like that?" Damon asked, though his voice seemed even farther off.

"She's a Traveler who has just discovered her powers," Bonnie explained. "This is only what, the fourth time she's used them? And with such a strong spell that would normally require, like, ten Travelers? She used so much magic that it drained her energy."

I let my head roll into Bonnie's hand, and she supported my neck. Well, there goes my chance of helping to find Wes. Note to self (if I even _remember_ this note)-practice using your magic so this doesn't happen again.

Through my already foggy mind, I remembered something. "The...the...girl..."

"Don't try to talk," Caroline said from behind me. At least, I think it was behind me.

I pushed past most of the fogginess as I continued, "The...the...girl in our...Socio class..." I groaned out. "She was...using magic. Get her...to...do...spell."

And with that, my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I passed out in Caroline's arms, and Bonnie's hands.

* * *

I could feel my head leaning on a soft shoulder as I started coming to. My head was pounding, and my whole body hurt like a bitch. I just wanted to crawl into my bed and never come out.

I made a horrible groaning noise as I squeezed my eyelids shut to block out any light.

"It's okay, Jules," Stefan's voice soothed. "We're almost back to your dorm."

I let my eyelid's peek open a little, and I was suddenly staring at Stefan's jaw. He was carrying me, and my head was leaning on his shoulder. His arms tightened around me as he kicked open the door to my room. No doubt I'll have to pay to get that fixed.

Stefan gently laid me down on my bed, and crouched on the ground next to me. He ran his fingers gently through my hair as my breathing started to become more even. "I'm so glad you're okay," He whispered, and he leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek.

Whoa. What the hell? Even in my messed up state I knew this wasn't normal. Stefan and I were just friends. Well, Matt and I kiss each other on the cheek and the head and the forehead. I guess it's not that weird.

But all those thoughts got washed away when Stefan leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I instantly recoiled, rolling my head to the side. I gave Stefan a "What the hell" look.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked as I slightly sat up.

"Uh, I'm glad that my girlfriend isn't dead, or seriously hurt, so I'm giving her a kiss?" He said.

"Who said I was your girlfriend?" I asked.

"Well, I was going to _ask _you if you wanted to be my girlfriend today, but then everything with Damon happened and-"

"But who said I _wanted _to be your girlfriend?" I asked, crossing my arms. All my bluriness was starting to drift away in my confusion.

"Uh, don't you?" Stefan asked. "I mean we've had a sort of relationship for a while, and I didn't know what to label our relationship, but-"

"But nothing," I said. I thought back to how I had spent the last few days. "Stefan, I've been thinking. Our relationship...it's too weird. I mean, you've been in love with my sister for two years, and all of a sudden you wanna be with me?" I asked. "Three months of you drowning and me being in a coma doesn't really count as a relationship."

"So what are you saying?" Stefan asked, his voice choking up.

"I can't be in a relationship with you, Stefan," I said. "Our relationship is too risky, and just not worth it to me. Sorry if I led you on."

Stefan took a deep breath, before standing up. "If that's what you really want..." He trailed off, hoping that I'll change my mind.

I didn't, though. "It's what I really want."

Stefan nodded. "Okay, then." He turned around, and opened the door to leave.

Elena was on the other side, and she had to side step to let Stefan pass her. She turned to face me, shutting the door behind her. She pointed behind her. "What's with the look on his face?"

I shrugged. "He seemed to think we were in some sort of relationship, so I guess I 'broke up' with him. I don't know why, though. I don't love him."

"So he's available if someone like me were to go after him?" She asked, her eyes hopeful.

I smiled at her. "He's all yours."

* * *

**TBC...**

**THE ENDING WAS SO AWKWARD TO WRITE SO I APOLOGIZE IF IT'S WEIRD!**

**WOW POOR STEFAN! **

**OH I AM EVIL.**

**ANYWAYS!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	14. No Exit

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Gonna go a whole different angle with this episode so let's see how it goes!

Okay, so I've decided that I'm going to catch up with this story as fast as I can so that when TVD comes back, I only have to do one episode a week. So I'm going to be focusing solely on this story until I can get it all caught up.

Unfortunately, that means that the Stefan and Jules AU can't happen in this story, simply because there is no time for it. If I get the time for it, then I will write it, and post it as a separate story, okay? Okay, great!

Also, I switched POVs for a second. I'm pretty sure you can tell when, but if you can't, it's when we flash to Katherine.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I groaned as I started regaining consciousness. As I started opening my eyes, I recognized above me to be the roof of a car.

What the hell happened? The last thing that I remembered was leaving my dorm to grab something to eat, and then someone came up behind me and hit me over the head.

Explains why I was knocked out.

I rubbed my sore neck as I grabbed the front seat to pull myself up into a sitting position.

"Finally awake, sweetheart? I was beginning to think I hit you too hard and killed you," a British voice said from the driver's seat.

I've only heard this voice a few times, but I was able to recognize it. "Hey, wait a minute. You're that guy Enzo." I looked around me to see where we were, but I couldn't recognize anywhere. "What the hell did you do? Where the hell am I?"

"Well in answer to the first question, I kidnapped you," He said. "And you are a bit outside of Mystic Falls. I'm taking you to a little house."

He...he did _what_? "You did what?" I asked. "Why?"

"Because last night when Damon and I went to go kill Wes Maxfield, we were stopped by Travelers," Enzo explained. "In the middle of it, Wes injected Damon with this Ripper virus that makes him feed off of vampires."

"Sucks for Damon," I said, and I pulled my way to the front seat next to Enzo. I nearly kicked him in the face, but I didn't care. "Why do you need me?" I asked as I settled into the seat. "More specifically, why did you kidnap me?"

"Now, sweetheart, kidnap is such a strong word..." He started.

"'Strong word'? _You _used the word kidnap!"

"Whatever! Do you want your question answered or not?" Enzo asked, throwing his hands up.

I backed down, and nodded. "Alright. I needed a witch to keep Damon in control. I'm a vampire, so he could feed off of me if he got the chance. And if it comes down to it, a bargaining chip for the Travelers."

I felt so used. "Or, you know, I could use my magic to give you the worst pain in the world and then kick your ass to the curb while I drive back home."

"Or," Enzo started. "I could compel you to be the perfect little helper. Would you rather be compelled or would you rather do this willingly?"

"I would rather punch you in the face."

"You've got a broken wrist. Good luck."

I opened my mouth to say something, when Enzo came to a sudden stop. I looked out the window, and saw this old, big abandoned house. "Now, do you want to be compelled?" He asked.

I would rather not be compelled. I don't think I've been compelled before, but I'd rather not have my free will taken away. I gave him a glare as I unbuckled my seat belt and slipped out of the car.

Enzo got out of the car too, but instead of going to the house like I thought he would, he went to the trunk of the car. "Is there food back there? I'm starving," I said as I followed him.

"Well, there _is_ food," Enzo said as he popped the trunk open, though he obstructed my view. "Just not for you."

I pushed him out of the way to see what was in the backseat, and nearly threw up. There was a dead body.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed. I turned to Enzo. "What up with the dead dude?"

"Calm down," He said as he leaned over and picked the body up. "He's for Damon."

"Why would Damon drink from a dead guy?" I asked as Enzo closed the trunk.

"He's not dead," Enzo remarked as we started walking over to the farm house. "Well, he is, but he's in transition. When he wakes up, we're gonna feed him some blood, and then Damon's gonna feed off of him."

"But that's awful," I said, and Enzo gestured for me to open the door to the house. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed the door and pulled it open. "You killed an innocent man just so that you can feed him to someone?"

"Newsflash Juliet," Enzo said as he walked in. "There isn't exactly a vampire blood bank around."

"I'm sure you've checked for your dear friend Damon," I grumbled as I followed behind him.

Grant it, I _could _have tried to run away, but Enzo would have easily caught and compelled me. I'd rather be a prisoner and have free will than be a prisoner with no free will. And I still have no idea where my vervain necklace went. It went missing the night I broke my wrist.

"Finally!" I heard Damon say as Enzo walked into the living room. "Where the hell have you-" He stopped when he noticed me behind Enzo. "Been?"

"Oh, I had a few errands to run," Enzo said as he looked over at me, and he dropped the body to the ground. "And I picked up dinner."

"What are you doing here, Juliet?" Damon asked.

"I'm not here by choice, if that's what you mean," I answered, crossing my arms. "Enzo here kidnapped me. Great friend choice, by the way."

"Why did you kidnap her?" Damon asked Enzo.

"Just as a precaution," Enzo answered with a shrug.

Before Damon could ask anything further, the dead guy on the ground woke up with a deep gasp, throwing himself forward as he sat up.

Enzo turned to me. "Juliet, be a dear and give our little friend here your good wrist to drink from?"

I gave him a disbelieving look. "I'd rather slam my tongue in a car door."

"Trust me, this would hurt a lot less," Enzo tried.

I gave him a glare that said, "I'm not gonna do it."

Enzo sighed, before using vampire speed to run to the kitchen and run back. In his hands was a blood bag.

"Hey! If you have blood bags, then why ask me to give him my blood?" I asked.

"I wanted to save these for me, but since you're not cooperating, I'm no longer able to," Enzo said as crouched down in front of the vampire. "To make a long story short, I fed you my blood, then I killed you, now you're a vampire in transition," He said to the guy, ripping the top of the blood bag open. "Bottom's up," He said, and crammed the end into the guy's mouth, who drank it ravenously without question.

Enzo stood the guy up after he done drained the contents of the bag, and without warning, Damon lunged for the guy's throat. I gasped a little in surprise, and I waited for Damon to stop drinking the blood of the guy once he had had enough.

But that was the thing...Damon wasn't stopping. He was just chewing away at the guy's neck. "Damon, stop, you've had enough," I said. "Damon? Damon!"

"It's no use," Enzo told me as Damon ignored me.

"Why?" I asked.

"It's the Ripper Virus," Enzo said. "You can't stop."

And just as Enzo said that, Damon ripped the head of the guy right off. I screamed as the body fell to the ground, and I covered my mouth in horror as I looked at the head that was still in Damon's mouth.

Then I looked at Damon.

Bad idea.

His mouth was overflowing with blood, and the dark veins that crawled underneath his eyes went along perfectly with his menacing red eyes. Damon caught my staring at him in horror, and he over at Enzo, pointing at me. "See? _She_ gets it! She's scared of me, as she should be!"

"It doesn't matter," Enzo said. "I already told you, Damon. I don't abandon my friends."

"Well, I'm not friends with either of you," I said, trying my best to conceal my shakes. I don't care about being compelled anymore. Facing possible compulsion isn't as bad as being in the same room as Damon. "So I'm out of here!"

I turned around to bolt out of the house, but Enzo was faster than me, and he was standing in front of me. He grabbed my upper arm, and used his other hand to grab my chin so that I was forced to look into his eyes. "I did give you a choice, you know," Enzo said as I struggled to get out of his grasp. His pupils dilated as he said, "You're not going to run away."

As hard as I fought against the words, they spilled out of my mouth. "I'm not going to run away."

"You're going to stay here with me and Damon, and then come with us if we move," Enzo continued.

I was forced to agree. "I'm going to stay here with you and Damon, and go with you if we move," I repeated.

"And you're not going to use your magic on Damon or I, unless I tell you to," Enzo finished.

Once I repeated the words back to him, he let me go, and I moved myself back away from him. "So what do you propose I do all day? Sit here and babysit him?" I pointed back at Damon. "I've got better things to do with my time."

"Well for now, your time is Damon time," Enzo said. He went over to a table, and picked up a book. "Now, I took the liberty of going into your dorm room and grabbing your spell book," He said, tossing Tessa's spell book at me, which I barely caught. "Study your spells."

I looked from the book, to Damon, then back to Enzo. I groaned. "This is going to be a long day. Especially if I have to go without food."

"I'll go get you some food," Enzo offered.

"Good. Or the next head that rolls is gonna be yours."

"But you can't. Remember? No using your magic."

"I will use my bare hands. It's not cannibalism because we're not the same species. Now, run along."

* * *

Since Enzo confiscated my phone, I was left listening to two bumbling idiots. Damon was doing something with his little dead doll while Enzo checked something on his phone.

I finally zoned back into the conversation when Enzo said, "I wonder. What's New York like these days?"

"Why is that important?" I asked as I set the spell book aside.

"Does it matter?" Damon said. "It's crowded," He finished as he threw the severed head of the dead guy's body on to the guy's lap.

"Perfect," Enzo said, tossing Damon his jacket. "Let's go. You too, Doll Face."

"Uh, I'm not going to New York," I said as I stood up.

Enzo threw a jacket into my face. "You don't have a choice. You're compelled, remember?"

"Unfortunately, it's the only thing I seem to remember," I sneered as I pulled the jacket on. It's not even mine. It's either Enzo's or Damon's. Or whoever owned this house before Enzo, no doubt, turned them and fed them to Damon.

Enzo perked up his ears. "What was that?"

I listened. There was nothing. "I don't hear anything," I said.

But a few seconds later, I did hear something. I strained to listen, and it turned out, it was chanting.

"It's the obnoxious theme song of the Travelers," Damon said as he threw on his own jacket. He looked over at me. "No offense."

"None taken," I said as the chanting got louder. It was more than one person, that was for sure. Why did my magic work when it was just me that did it?

Damon opened the door, and I gasped at the sight of the Travelers on the outside. Damon, however, thought nothing of it as he attempted to walk out of the house. But some sort of invisible force field had been put up, because when he tried to leave, he was pushed back. "Ahhh," He groaned, and he hit the force field with his hand.

I moved Damon out of the way. Maybe the spell affected only vampires.

But no such luck. I tried leaving the house, but I was stopped by the same barrier as the Travelers kept chanting. Okay, I'm officially creeped out by my own people.

And to wrap everything up, the face of the one person who I didn't want to see ever again stepped in front of the doorway.

Doctor Wes Maxfield.

Oh boy.

I immediately stepped back, and moved Damon in front of me again. This is really not what I needed right now.

"As a man of science, I always considered magic a cheat. Turns out, I cheat," Wes said with a shrug. "How's the appetite?"

"Funny you should ask," Damon started, giving Wes a hard glare. "I was just craving a blond."

"You're my patient zero, Damon," Wes explained. "I couldn't just let you ride off into the sunset without running a few tests."

"A few tests?" Enzo repeated.

"Well, one test," Wes corrected himself. "Now that you're trapped with only one source of food, how long can you go before you feed on your best friend?"

Oh dear God. It's just really not my day. Or Damon's. Or Enzo's.

"Wait," I started. "This is about Damon and Enzo. Why can't I leave?"

Wes shrugged. "I don't know. I don't do magic."

I looked behind him at the other Travelers. "Really? You're just gonna leave one of your own trapped in a house with two vampires?" I banged on the invisible barrier. "I am a _Christos Traveler_. If it means what I think it means, you guys need me for something or you are making a very big mistake." I slapped my hands against the force field again, but nothing worked. I groaned in frustration. "Come on! You can't leave me in here with these two dipshits!" I yelled. THen I realized what I said. I slowly turned my head to look over at Damon and Enzo, who had very clearly offended looks on their faces. "And I mean that in the best possible way."

* * *

Damon threw a chair at the window, and the glass shattered as the chair dropped to the ground. He went over to the window, and tried putting his hand in through the window. Of course, it didn't work.

Enzo and I gave each other an annoyed look, and then I realized who I was sharing an annoyed look with, so I quickly sat up in the chair I was sitting in and looked away as Enzo said, "Give it up, mate. Those Travelers sealed this whole place up tight."

"This spell can't last forever," Damon pointed out.

"Doesn't need to," Enzo said. "It only needs to last eight hours, remember? Then he can come back and autopsy my mangled corpse."

Damon groaned, banging his hands against the wall before turning around and sliding down it. "You're pretty zen about this whole thing."

"Did you forget everything that I've taught you in that cell?" Enzo asked. "'Calm heads will always prevail'."

"Always the soldier," Damon muttered.

"But you _do_ have people we can call," Enzo said as he stood up. "The _both_ of you."

"You took my phone," I pointed out. "I can't call anyone."

"What about your brother?" Enzo asked Damon. "Your ex, her sister," Enzo turned his head in my direction at 'her sister'. "They can find Wes and threaten him, or maim him. Or anything that involves your fangs and my neck," He finished as he sat down on the table in front of Damon.

"My brother told me to leave and to not come back. I am _not_ calling him," Damon dismissed.

"My life is not worth your pride," Enzo argued.

"They won't come," Damon said, so sure of himself.

"Or they will and you might hurt them," Enzo said. "You don't to risk them, do you? Me, on the other hand..." He stood up with a frustrated sigh.

"I'm not gonna feed on you," Damon said firmly. "I'll find another way."

Damon's eyes trailed over to me. I was a little confused as to why, but then I understood. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, I'm going to..."

"You're going to what?" Enzo asked. "You've been instructed not to use your magic on us unless told to, by us."

"Trust me, there are a lot more ways of torture than magic, Enzo," I said. "I am perfectly content as a human, thank you."

"Technically, a Traveler," Enzo commented.

"Yeah, why can't you do anything?" Damon asked. "Use your magic to bring the barrier down."

I gave him a look of disbelief. "Did you not see me the day I tried saving my brother from the two of you?" I asked. "I passed right out after doing a simple spell for witches. I'm not strong, nor experience enough. There might be something different about my blood, but I don't know how to use it or anything. Plus, there were like, fifteen Travelers out there. That's way more experience than I have," I said, crossing my arms. "Now, what are our other options?"

* * *

Night had fallen and we _still _didn't have a plan. Honestly, I had no idea how Enzo and Damon got stuff done.

Eventually, Enzo and I decided that it would probably be a good idea to tie Damon up. So, Enzo went and grabbed some chains from a barn that was out back, and draped them over the chair he planned to chain Damon too. "Towing chains, farmer's best friend. In about an hour, mine," Enzo said, then nodded his head at Damon. "Take a seat."

Damon sighed, but walked over to the chair. "They're not gonna let us out of here until I kill you," He sat down. "Or you kill me."

"Don't be dramatic," Enzo told him, and the two of us started chaining Damon up. "We'll work something out."

"There's no cure, Enzo," Damon said, a peculiar look on his face. "Not for this."

Angrily, Enzo leaned forward. "You've given it all of two days!" He growled. "That's what you do, isn't it? That's the problem, you run. You did it to me, you did it to your girl-"

"That's because when I stay, I destroy things," Damon revealed.

I looked between the two of them, and dropped the chains that were in my hands. "So clearly, you two have some stuff to work out." I started backing up towards the couch. "So let me know when you do, and I'll be glad to help out."

I fell on the couch as Enzo secured the chains with locks. He looked Damon dead in the eye as he said, "We're not all as fragile as you think we are."

I rolled my eyes at the two of them. They're way more dramatic than girls, that's for sure.

Enzo went over to the table where Damon's phone was, and picked it up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Damon asked him.

"Calling for back up," Enzo answered as he dialed.

"I thought I told you not to call them?!" Damon groaned.

"And what am I doing here if you're calling Stefan for back up?" I asked. I wasted my day locked in a house with these two idiots for _nothing_?

"And I told you that your pride is worth neither of our lives," Enzo said to Damon as he put the phone to his ear. Enzo turned to me. "You were more of an immediate back up."

Enzo left the room to make the call, and Damon immediately started wrestling with his chains.

"Hello, Stefan," Enzo said as he walked back into the room. "How wonderful to hear your beautiful, feminine voice."

Feminine? I strained to listen on the other end, and I heard Elena's voice. Wait, Elena was with Stefan? Why? And why did I suddenly care so much?

"I'm in a spot of trouble, actually," Enzo said, replying to whatever Elena had said. "Oh, he's here. Salivating. About to chomp into my neck and feed until my head pops off in a grotesque but slightly comical fashion."

"What I wouldn't give to see that," I muttered to myself, but I think Enzo heard me. Whatever, he kidnapped me.

"You know about the virus. Good," Enzo said. "We could use a hand. Wes enlisted some of those singing witches and trapped me, Damon, and your pretty little sister in the house."

Enzo smiled devilishly as he stared right at me. "Well, we had a very passionate night before she decided that she couldn't bear not being with me every second of the day."

A growl slipped my lips as I grabbed one of the couch cushions, hurling it at Enzo's face. "Enzo, you ass!"

"Just kidding, I kidnapped her," Enzo corrected himself.

"Elena? DO NOT. COME. HERE!" Damon threw out sternly.

"He doesn't want to risk feeding on you," Enzo said. "That's sweet, really, but you'll be fine. Besdies, if he does feed on you, I have orders to kill him." Enzo listened on the other end. "And, uh, tick-tock. I managed to restrain him, but you know how persistent Damon can be when he wants something."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me, and I tried avoiding Damon's death glare because he heard me.

Almost half an hour later, Damon started breathing really heavily. It was getting close to the eight hour mark, and I'm pretty sure Damon could feel it in every fiber of his being. He started thrashing and groaning.

"Stop being so dramatic!" I said as I laid down on my back on the couch, kicking my legs in the air. I was so bored. How I've managed to survive eight hours with Enzo and Damon, I'll never know.

Enzo tried being more helpful. "It'll be alright, mate. They'll come and we'll sort everything out."

"Or they'll come and I'll feed on them," Damon pointed out.

"Those are also options. As long as I live, I'm good," Enzo said. Damon and I both gave Enzo a glare. Those were our respective siblings he was talking about. "Joking! Kind of."

Then out of literally no where, there was the sound of a shot, and the skin on Enzo's shoulder tore apart in an explosion as the bullet hit him. I gasped, but Enzo seemed unfazed as he looked to where the shot came from.

I followed his gaze, and saw Wes holding a smoking revolver, the Travelers chanting some sort of spell that clearly wasn't in Tessa's book.

"If you were aiming for my heart, you missed," Enzo said to Wes as I stood up and went to stand next to Enzo. I gently took his shoulder and inspected his wound. It didn't seem to affect Enzo at all. Well, I guess after years of being cut up and I don't even wanna guess what else, a gun shot isn't gonna do anything

"Don't worry, I wasn't," Wes said.

Enzo widened his eyes, and I didn't even realize as to why until I followed his gaze.

Damon was staring at the hole in Enzo's shoulder, the same veins from earlier today appearing underneath his eyes as his eyes turned red.

"The chains were a good idea. Now, I can see exactly how strong he becomes when enrage," Wes said.

Ugh, how was I attracted to this guy?

Okay, I still thought he was cute. Cute, but psychotic. Like Klaus.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I saw Damon rip the chains that Enzo had tied on him in less than ten seconds. Damon stood up, looking directly at Enzo.

"Conclusion, very strong," Wes said, sounding a little impressed.

Before I knew it, Enzo grabbed me by the arm and pushed me to the side. It was so sudden that I lost my balance and I tumbled right to the ground. I positioned my body so that I wouldn't fall on my bad arm, though. I looked up in time to see Enzo throw Damon across the room and away from him.

"Enzo, are you okay?" I asked, though I wasn't sure why I was so concerned.

Damon didn't miss a beat. He quickly recovered from Enzo's defense, and the veins under his eyes appeared as he bared his fangs.

"Boy, do I miss the indestructible Augustine cage right about now," Enzo mumbled to himself.

Quick as a flash, Damon was on Enzo, and he attached his teeth to Enzo's neck as he began to feed off of him.

"Damon, stop! Damon, stop!" Enzo pleaded as the life was drained out of him. "Stop! STOP! PLEASE, DAMON, STOP!"

I had never felt so helpless in my life. I wanted to lift my hand and incantate a spell that would stop Damon from feeding off of Enzo, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything because Enzo compelled me not to use magic unless he told me to. And he was a little busy.

I almost kicked at Damon to get him to stop, but I stopped myself, because how stupid would that have been?

I was about to just find myself something to make a stake with (no, I wasn't actually going to kill Damon...maybe just stab him a few times to get him to stop) but before I could do anything, Damon unlatched himself from Enzo, the blood coming back up in his throat. He dropped to the ground as he began to choke.

He was coughing up so much blood, and sounded like he was in so much pain. I felt bad. I actually did.

So I dropped to the ground next to him, and put my hands on his shoulders. I rubbed his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. "Hey, you're okay," I assured him as he clawed at his throat. I looked back up at Wes and the Travelers. "What the hell did you do to him?"

"My friends here raised the acidity of Enzo's blood," Wes explained. "There must be some witchy explanation for it, but Damon was basically drinking hydrochloric acid."

That must be why he was throwing up all that blood and shaking like a leaf. I griped him tighter as he shook more violently.

"I suggest Enzo leave before the spell wears off," Wes said.

"And go where...with you?" Enzo growled.

"There's one more thing I need from you," Wes said to him. "Then I'll let yo go for good. The other option is to stay in here with your cannibal friend and see how long you last."

"Go, Enzo," Damon groaned roughly. "I tried to kill you once, I'll do it again."

"Don't talk, you'll hurt yourself," I said to him, but he didn't listen.

"GO, ENZO!" Damon yelled, his voice all scratchy.

Enzo flinched a little. He looked over at me, and his eyes were asking if I was coming.

I shook my head. "I'll stay here, with him."

"No, you go too," Damon groaned.

I rolled eyes. "Save me the dramatics. I'm not a vampire, I'll be fine." I looked back to Enzo. "Go! I don't know when the spell will wear off."

Enzo hesitated for a second, but he turned around, grabbed his jacket, and pushed past Wes when he got out the door.

One of the Travelers looked at me, giving me this weird smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Christos," He said with a grin, before he turned around and left, the other Travelers following him.

"What was that about?" Damon choked out.

"I don't know," I said, a shiver running down my back. I fought against it as I wrapped my arm around Damon. "Let's just get you off the floor."

* * *

Katherine was smiling to herself as hot water hit her naked body. How perfect was this plan? Stefan was here with her alone and there was no Juliet. Stefan would be hers. Her ears perked when she heard the door to the motel opened.

"The car's done," she heard Stefan called out.

"I'll be right there," She called back.

Stefan looked around the room before he started to pack 'Elena's' bags. However, his mind was still far away. All he could think about was Juliet. Why would she had a change of heart so quickly? He knew she loved him and he loves her. Now, it's like she disgusted about being with him.

"Hey, uh, will you grab me my shirt? It's, uh, the green one right on top," he heard 'Elena' asked.

Not even looking up, he answered, "Yeah. Sure."

Stefan grabbed the shirt and handed it to her. Katherine's smirked dropped when she could tell Stefan was still not paying attention to her. It was time to kick it up a notch.

"Thanks," she said.

Stefan nodded his head and continued to pack. Katherine left the door opened while she removed her towel and ran her hands through her wet brown hair. When she finally got dressed, she walked right behind him and touched his shoulder. Stefan turned around and looked at her all confused. His eyes widen when she placed her hands on his face and kissed him.

Elena was kissing him! Something clicked in his mind and that was...

Juliet.

Stefan pushed Katherine away, while Katherine looked hurt.

"What are you doing?" asked Stefan.

"What do you mean?" she asked all innocent.

We can't be doing this. We can't be together. This isn't right," said Stefan.

Katherine looked hurt, but in the inside she was pissed. "You're right. I'm, I'm sorry, I was just, uh, caught up in the moment. I shouldn't have..."

Stefan nodded his head and said, "Yeah. We have a long night ahead of us, so maybe we should just..."

"Yeah. Uh.. You know, why don't you go, uh, settle the bill and I'll finish packing?" Katherine suggest, trying not to blow her top. Great! The little Witch wasn't even aware she was in love with Stefan, _and_ she had broken up with Stefan, but Stefan was still pining after her. Katherine just knew it.

When Stefan left the motel room, he looked back at the door and felt something about 'Elena' was not right at all.

* * *

Damon didn't have the strength to actually get up yet, so I leaned him against the couch so he could recover. I sat down across from him with a sigh.

"Why are you helping me?" Damon asked as he tried regaining control of his breathing. "You've always hated me. You never thought I was good enough for Elena."

I shrugged. "I don't remember that. And if I did think that, it doesn't matter now. Sure, you're a dick, Damon, but no one deserves to be alone."

"Not even me?" He asked.

I smiled at him as I shook my head. "Not even you."

He gently smiled back, though it looked a little weird because of the blood staining his lips. "Listen, I'm sorry Enzo dragged you into this whole mess. I'm sure the last thing you wanted to do with your day was babysit us."

I waved it off. "It's okay. The truth is, what else was I going to do? And if I don't babysit the two of you, who will?"

Damon smiled again, but it died as he looked behind me. I looked where he was looking, and saw Elena standing at the door.

"Don't," Damon instantly said. "Do not."

I looked at her. "Elena, really. Don't."

Stefan appeared next to her, and Damon scrambled to his feet. "I said, don't!"

I stood up too, standing beside Damon. Stefan and I caught each other's gaze, and this weird headache started forming at the back of my head. I ignored it in favour of what was happening right now.

"Jules, are you okay?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered as quickly as I could. "But Stefan, don't come in here. Really."

"She's right," Damon said. "You come in here, you won't come out."

"What exactly happened here?" Stefan asked.

"I wanted revenge. I got stuck with a vampire virus...almost killed my last friend..." Damon listed. "Typical Damon."

"Enzo texted me the address here," Elena said, and my little headache started getting just a little bit stronger. "Damon, we're here to help you."

"You can't help me!" Damon insisted. "I feed on vampires now. You two are vampires. Do yourselves a favour and leave."

"Well, that's not gonna happen," Stefan said.

Without warning, Damon vamp-sped to the door, showing his vampire face to Stefan and Elena. "Stay back!"

"I'm not afraid of you, Damon," Stefan said, clearly unfazed.

Damon let his face go back to normal as he stepped away from the two people at the door. He turned around, and started walking more in to the house.

I looked at Stefan and Elena, and for a fleeting second, I noticed something odd about the face that Elena was making. Almost as if it was a malicious grin.

It was gone in two seconds, though, and she stepped right into the house. "Neither am I," She declared.

Damon looked at her in disbelief. "No, no, no," He said, grabbing her by the arms and pushing her back out the door.

But the spell was still up, and Elena bounced off of the invisible barrier. "You gotta get out!" Damon said, and he kept trying to push Elena out, but it just wasn't working.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Damon growled as he stepped back. He turned away from her.

"I'm proving to you that you're not a lost cause, Damon," Elena said as Stefan stepped into the house. She leaned down and picked up a jagged piece of glass.

"Elena!" Damon warned.

"See?" She said as she made a long cut on her hand. Damon groaned as he turned away from her, trying his hardest to resist the urge to feed off of my idiotic sister.

"Damon. You can resist this... you can do it," Elena insisted as she held her hand up. "Why? Because you love me and that love is stronger than any craving."

"Get away from me, Elena," Damon bit out as he started cracking.

"Elena, he's going to feed..." Stefan warned.

"No. No," She implored. "He's not going to. He's not going to.. You can do this Damon."

"Elena, you haven't seen him feed," I tried telling her. "He can't control it and he can't stop."

"Relax, JJ," Elena said to me as she put her hand on Damon's shoulder, trying to get him to turn around and face her.

"There you go," Elena said as Damon turned around, the veins under his eyes growing by the second. "Turn around. There you go."

Damon's about to lose it, I could just tell. I was about to physically pull Elena away from Damon, when he fully turned around and sank his teeth into Elena's neck, drinking her blood.

Elena screamed. Stefan stepped forward and tried pulling his brother off of their ex-girlfriend, but it just wasn't working. "Damon, STOP!" Stefan demanded, but none of his pulling was working. Damon was too strong.

"Damon, Let go of her. Let go of her! LET GO!" Stefan commanded, but still, nothing.

Elena kicked a wooden stake toward Stefan, and it wasn't until she said, "He's going to kill me!" Did I realize that she had intended for Stefan to kill Damon.

And now I realized that Enzo hadn't lifted his compulsion off of me, so I couldn't do anything to Damon to get him to stop.

But that didn't mean that I couldn't do anything to _Elena_ to get him to stop.

I took a deep breath and channeled all my energy. The last time I attempted a spell, I passed out. However, I have to really, really concentrate. I racked my brain trying to remember the spell the Travelers had used on Enzo, and when it finally came to me, I held up my hand to Elena as I said, "_Osoarmavas ocre item otum et sine_." I felt a little shaky, but I kept going. "_Osoarmavas ocre item otum et sine_." I felt the same cementy feeling as last time, but I pushed through it. "_Osoarmavas ocre item otum et sine_," I choked out. My body started aching, especially in my throat, but I pressed on. "_Osoarmavas ocre item otum et sine_!"

Finally, Damon pushed Elena off of him as he fell to the ground, choking on blood once more. I felt really bad, hurting Damon like that, so I fell to the ground next to him, grabbing his shoulders like I did last time.

"I'm so sorry," I told him as I squeezed his shoulders. "You were attacking Elena, you gave me no choice."

I guess my spell wasn't strong enough, because Damon was recovering must faster than he had last time. Before he could leap up and attack Elena or Stefan, Stefan leaned forward and snapped his brother's neck, temporarily killing him.

All the adrenaline and stress that had been building up in me seemed to have died when Damon did, and my shoulders literally flopped as I did. Th e same tired feeling as before came back with a vengeance, and I fell forward, my head landing on top of Damon's chest as I was pulled into unconsciousness.

Again.

* * *

When I woke up, I was on the couch in the Salvatore house, and Stefan and Caroline were on the couch across from me. They looked like they were in a serious conversation.

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my head. "Man, I am getting really tired of this, 'knocking out after using magic' bullshit."

"Nice to see that you're already feeling better," Caroline chirped.

"Jules, can I ask you something?" Stefan asked.

I rolled my eyes as I rubbed at them, trying to increase blood flow again. "You just asked a question, but whatever."

"What did you do to Damon to make him stop?" He asked. "I was just about ready to cut myself so that he could drink from me. What did you do?"

"Well, Enzo had compelled me not to use my magic on him and Damon unless I was instructed by Enzo to do so," I explained. "But he never said anything about Elena. So, I did a spell that raised the acidity in Elena's blood. Essentially, Damon was drinking hydrochloric acid," I said.

"That's so cool!" Caroline said, leaning forward.

"Yeah, well, when someone is feeding on your sister you..." I trailed off. There was something that had been bothering me about Elena ever since she had stepped into the house, and it finally hit me.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"It was something Elena said," I told him. "She called me JJ. There's only one person that's ever called me JJ, and that person should have been rotting six feet under."

But it was impossible. It was. There was no way that...

The same headache I had before came back, and I screamed in pain as I clutched my head.

Flashes of Elena grabbing the back of my head came into my mind.

_"The Passenger spell," I breathed, looking back up at Elena-or, Katherine. "You used the Passenger spell to put yourself into Elena, didn't you?"_

_ "I should have figured that you'd be the first one to figure it out."_

The memory abruptly stopped when I felt shaking. I opened my eyes to see Stefan, who had his hands on my arms, trying to shake me out of whatever trance I was in. "Juliet! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"So many things, Stefan," I said. "We have a _big _problem."

"Bigger than Damon?"

"Bigger than Damon."

"How?" He asked.

"You could say we got infested by a Kat."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Literally I had no idea what to do with his episode, but I think that it turned out really good! **

**Let me know what you think!**

**Okay, so I've decided to make it so that Jules **_**can**_** be compelled, but the compulsion wears off.**

**And what did you think about Juliet saving the day, and not Stefan?**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	15. Gone Girl

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:** Seven more chapters until the end! Who's excited?

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hang on, here," Matt started. "Katherine is still alive? How is that even possible?"

Following the revelation that Katherine was still alive, Stefan, Caroline, and I rounded up the rest of our friends to tell them. Tyler and Matt were present, and we put Bonnie and Jeremy on speaker.

"Do you remember Nadia's boyfriend Gregor?" I asked. "He hitched a ride in your head? Well, it's pretty much the same thing. Sometime before Kathernie died, she pushed herself into Elena and made herself a Passenger. She somehow managed to make it permanent, or Elena would have been trying to fight her way back."

"Except it's a lot worse because none of us seemed to notice!" Caroline exclaimed.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I noticed," I brought up. "Right before she compelled me."

"No one likes a bragger, Jules!" Caroline protested.

"I don't get it. She was at my house," Tyler said. "How did none of us figure it out?"

Do you know how awkward it was to be around Tyler? I mean, I profusely apologized to him for using my magic on him. He forgave me quickly, because I stopped him from hurting Caroline, but I still felt a bit awkward around him.

"Because it's Katherine!" Caroline exploded. "And she's smart! And coniving, and sneaky, and..." Caroline huffed. "We are the worst friends _ever_."

She sat down as Jeremy spoke up. "This makes no sense. She saved my life. She gave me CPR when Enzo tried to kill me. Katherine would _never_ do that."

"That's what made her so believable," Bonnie pointed out. "She played Elena to a tee. If she let you die, her cover was blown."

"I was sleeping three feet away from her," Caroline said. "She picked out my Bitter Ball dress. I let her use my toothpaste."

"At least she didn't compel you," I said. I held up my left wrist. "Or broke your wrist."

I still didn't know how the compulsion wore off. As far as my knowledge went, compulsion was only undone if the vampire who compelled you released you of the compulsion, or they died. Whatever, I'm taking it as a good sign.

"Yeah, well, did she lure you into a hotel room to make out with you?" Stefan asked as he walked into the room.

"She's the reason I found out about you and Klaus," Tyler concluded.

Caroline's face contorted. "Of course! Oh my God!"

"So how do we kill the bitch?" Tyler asked, and everyone looked over to me.

"Well, Passengers have to be expelled from the host," I told them. "It's what happened with Matt. Katherine stabbed him while Gregor was in control of Matt's body, and Gregor died. Matt was fine. All we have to do is get our hands on the Traveler knife and stick her with it."

"I still have the knife that Nadia gave me," Matt said.

"Perfect, go get it," Stefan said.

"Hold on, guys," Caroline stopped us. "This is _Katherine_ that we are talking about. She is going to see a sneak attack coming from a mile away!"

"You have a point," I muttered. Katherine Pierce would notice right away if we were to try something.

"We have to lure her to us. Get her guard down, corner her," Caroline suggested.

"Fat chance you'll be seeing her today," Tyler said. "I'm pretty sure that I bit Nadia."

Caroline gave Tyler a look of disbelief, and Matt looked confused, as was I. But me, for probably a different reason.

"What do you mean you bit her?" Matt asked.

"I mean that she was attacking Caroline and I might have nipped her a little," Tyler explained.

"And you're just mentioning this _now_?" Matt asked, a little annoyed.

"Hold on a second!" I said, and everyone looked over at me. "What's so bad about Tyler biting Nadia?"

"I'm a hybrid," Tyler started. "I'm half vampire, half werewolf. Werewolf bites are lethal to vampires."

"So your bite will kill Nadia?" I asked.

Tyler nodded. Wow, what a way to go out. Werewolf bite.

"Guys, focus!" Caroline insisted. "Tyler's right, Katherine's not gonna leave Nadia's side unless not leaving compromises her identity."

"Which means?" Matt asked.

"We need to invite her to something that _Elena _would not say no too," Caroline finished.

"Like?" I asked.

* * *

Caroline and Bonnie's attempts to get Katherine here didn't work, so they turned to me to try.

I dialed Elena's number, and Katherine answered. "If it isn't my favourite sister in the world!" She said in a sugar sweet voice.

I rolled my eyes, but kept my tone light. "Hey! Don't you remember what today is?"

"Um...Friday?" Katherine asked.

"No. It's my doctor's appointment," I lied. Well, I'm not lying that much. I _do_ have a doctor's appointment to take my cast off, but that was in a couple of days. "And the night I hurt my wrist you promised you'd help me in any way you could. Well, now I'm collecting. I need someone to drive me to the hospital."

"What? Why can't Caroline or Bonnie or Jeremy take you?" She asked, keeping her nervousness under control.

"Because Bonnie's all the way at Whitmore with Jeremy and Caroline is busy planning Bonnie's party," I said. "I need someone to take me."

"Jules, I'm sorry, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm at Whitmore too," She said. "I'm helping with Aaron's funeral. I'm really sorry. I promise I'll take you to your next appointment. I'll call you later, okay?"

She hung up before I could even say anything. I growled in frustration, shoving the phone in my pocket. This was going to be harder than I thought.

I busted into the cellar where Stefan was keeping Damon tied up. "She's not cracking! She's been doing this for three weeks-she's gotten good."

"Which is exactly why I'm going to be doing this," Stefan said, pulling his own phone out.

"Who are you calling there, buddy?" Damon asked.

"Katherine's been making a lot of excuses, and I have a feeling she won't be able to say 'no' to me," Stefan answered, stepping away a bit.

As soon as Stefan put the phone to his ear, another phone started buzzing. Stefan pulled the phone out of his back pocket, and his eyebrows scrounged up in confusion. "It's your phone. _Elena_ is calling." He held out the phone to Damon. "Answer it."

Damon snatched the phone right out of his hand, and pressed the talk button. "Elena," He said calmly. "Hey."

I was close enough to hear Katherine. "_Hey_," She said in Elena's neutral voice. "_How are you_?"

"Oh, you know," Damon said. "Strung up. Hungry. Same ol', same ol'."

"_Now that the dust has settled,_" Katherine said. "_I was hoping that, I don't know, maybe we can talk about what happened at the farm house. Can I see you?"_

Stefan and I exchanged confused looks. Why was Katherine _now_ willingly coming?

"Okay, sure," Damon answered casually. "Why don't you just come to the house and we'll talk about it here?"

Right when he said that, I smacked my hand against my forehead. The absolute _idiot_. Seriously, how did Damon get things done?

"_Perfect. I'll see you soon,_" Katherine said.

"Okay. Bye," Damon said, and they both hang up.

"It doesn't make any sense," Stefan said. "She's dodged everyone's attempt to bring her here, and now she voluntarily wants come over?"

"Unless..." Damon trailed off.

"Unless..." Stefan did the same.

"She was testing me," Damon concluded.

"Kind of!" I exploded. "Just last night you were literally trying to push her out the door because you were scared you were gonna hurt her. And now you're just casually inviting her over for a quick chat, and maybe a little tea?" I groaned. "I have no idea how you've managed to live so long."

* * *

Stefan and I stepped out of the cell to fill Caroline in on the situation.

"Of course!" Caroline huffed. "The farther she gets, the worse our chances of ever seeing Elena again. It's bad enough that no one-_but Jules_-" She said with a glance in my direction. "Recognized that she was Katherine, we also blew our only advantage."

From inside of the cell that he was in, Damon called out, "Nothing a little locator spell can't fix."

Stefan and Caroline both automatically looked to me, but I started shaking my head right away. "Nuh-uh. Do you guys remember the last time I attempted a simple locator spell? I nearly passed out!"

Caroline and Stefan nodded in understanding, and I continued talking. "Besides, all of Elena's stuff is at our dorm, including her _biologically_ related cousin." I thought back to what I had seen during Sociology class. "But, I _do_ know someone who could help us out. Well, Bonnie knows her too. And the best thing is? She's right where Bonnie is."

* * *

We were all put on shifts for Damon sitting, and Tyler and I were put together for the second shift. We sat across from each other in front of Damon's cell after we gave him his next dose of blood.

I _still_ felt really awkward around Tyler. I didn't know what to do. I said some pretty bad things, and I _did_ some really bad things. Friends don't torture other friends.

"Will you stop looking at me like that?" Tyler asked, not even looking up from his phone.

I cleared my throat. "Like what?"

"Like you pity me," He continued. "Like you want nothing more than to rewind the last few weeks and fix everything."

"Tyler, hurting your friends isn't exactly something that you just get over," I said. "I feel really bad for hurting you."

"I don't blame you, Jules," Tyler said, finally looking up from his phone. "You did what you had to do to protect Caroline. I'm glad that you did what you did. Though, I'm curious. How long have you known you were a Witch?"

"A Traveler," I corrected. "We're different. And not too long. A few months. I haven't actually used my powers too much. I'm really bad with them.

"Bad how?"

"Bad, like I pass out every time I try a spell. A spell that would take nothing for a Witch," I told him. "Like the other night, I tried doing a Locator spell to find a Professor from Whitmore, and I couldn't do it. I got so physically drained that I passed right out."

"I hate to interrupt you two rebuilding your friendship," Damon interrupted. "But I'm hungry."

I rolled my eyes. "What else is new?" I asked as I stood up. "I'm gonna go get something to drink. You want anything?"

Tyler shook his head as Damon called out, "Vampire blood would be nice, thanks."

I rolled my eyes again as I went up the stairs into the kitchen. Since I was already in the kitchen, I just decided to make something to eat. I was making myself a sandwich when I heard someone walking up the steps of where the cell was.

"Tyler? I'm making a sandwich, do you want one?" I asked as I looked into the fridge for lettuce.

I looked over my shoulder to see where Tyler was, and my stomach dropped when I saw Damon, who had blood all over his chin. "Damon?!" I exclaimed. I turned around to do a spell to incapacitate him so that I could get him back to the cell, but I guess the compulsion that Enzo had put on me hadn't worn off yet.

I growled in frustration. "Damon-" I started, but he had already sped out the door.

"No!" I called out, and I ran to the door. I peeked around outside, and he was already long gone.

What happened? Where was Tyler?

I barreled down the stairs and ran right for Damon's cell. I ran into the cell, and saw Tyler passed out on the ground. I dropped down next to him, and saw that he had his neck snapped.

"Oh my God," I breathed. I could have tried shaking him to get him to wake up, but I couldn't do anything until his neck healed. I looked around him, trying to figure out what had happened.

Well, there was a chunk of Tyler's neck missing, and Damon's chains were broken, so my guess is that Damon somehow got Tyler into his cell, he fed off of him, and that gave him the strength to break his restraints to bolt.

I waited about ten minutes, and I eventually heard groaning noises coming from him.

"Tyler?" I tried, putting my hands behind his shoulders so that I could support him as he sat up.

"Oh..." He moaned, putting his hand to his neck where Damon had bitten him.

"Tyler, he fed off of you," I said, although I'm pretty sure that Tyler knew this. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," He answered, and I took my arm away from his back, now that he could sit up on his own.

"What even happened?" I asked. "Why did you come into his cell?"

"What do you think?" He repsonded. "Damon knew exactly how to get under my skin."

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was still confused.

Tyler hesitated for a second. "Can I ask you something?"

"I certainly won't stop you," I told him.

"What makes Klaus so great?" He asked. "He's killed hundreds of people. My family, your family, our friends." Tyler shook his head. "What makes him so appealing?"

Ugh, why am I always the one caught in relationship drama? Stefan thought we were dating, Enzo kidnapped me because Damon got himself turned into a Ripper after going off of the rails because Katherine dumped him as Elena, and now, Tyler was dragging me into his and Caroline's business.

Time to pull the good friend card. "Even though it should be none of my business," I said pointedly. "For me, apparently, Klaus provided something that no one else could. Or would."

Tyler stared at me, waiting for me to tell him the rest. I huffed. "Comfort," I finished. "Everyone around me were in relationships, my Aunt had just died, my sister was too preoccupied with finding her now ex-boyfriend, and I needed someone. Klaus offered, and I was drunk when I took him up on it." I wrapped my arms around my legs. "So, yeah."

"It's weird," Tyler said. "When I was in New Orleans, I ran into Hayley. You know she's pregnant with Klaus's kid, right?"

I nodded. "Of course. He tells me everything."

"Well, the whole time I was there, one of the only things that I could think of, was, 'It could have been Juliet," He told me. "It could have been you in that bayou, it could have been you that was having a baby. Klaus's baby, no less."

I shrugged. "Well, in some alternate reality, it probably is," I said. "But let's be serious. Me? As a _mom?_"

The thought of me being a mother to any child made us both laugh. I may not remember most of what happened in the last two years, but Tyler and I have been friends since we were little. We knew each other pretty well.

There was footsteps, and we both turned our heads in the direction of the door. Caroline stepped in, and her eyes widened. "What the hell happened?"

I guess Tyler and I got so caught up in the conversation that we didn't even remember that Damon escaped. "Oh, yeah," I said. "Damon kind of escaped."

"Are you two okay?" Caroline asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine, and Tyler is too."

"But Wes Maxfield?" Tyler spoke up. "Maybe not so much. I think Damon went after him."

Stefan stepped into the cell, his cell phone in his hand. His eyebrows knotted together as he noticed one crucial detail: his brother was missing. "What the hell happened?"

"Long story," I said quickly. "Did someone call?"

"Bonnie and Jeremy," He answered. "They got Katherine's location."

* * *

According to Stefan, Katherine wasn't at the church. But someone else _was_.

I stared at the couch, where the sickly form of Nadia Petrova was lying. She was snow white, and covered in sweat, even though she was shivering. Her werewolf bite was withering away and swelling by the minute.

"You...kidnapped Nadia," I said slowly, turning back to face Stefan.

"Yup," He answered.

"That's your...grand plan."

"Yup."

"Why?"

"Because Katherine Pierce may not care about a lot of things in this world," Stefan said. He nodded his head to Nadia. "But she does care about her daughter. By bringing her here, she has no choice but to come here."

"But-" I began.

"Her daughter is dying," Stefan interrupted. "She has a few hours, at the most left. Katherine will come."

Stefan pulled out his phone to make a phone call, while I turned around and walked into the Salvatore's kitchen. I found a small towel, and I found their first aid kit. When I walked back into the living room, Stefan was taking his phone away from Nadia.

"You can always run, Katherine, it's what you do best," Stefan said. "Or you can home, and see your daughter one last time before she dies. It's your choice."

As soon as Stefan hung up, I reached for Nadia's arm. She instantly recoiled from me, and I raised my hands in surrender. "Hey, I'm just trying to help."

"You can't help me," She moaned. "I'm dying."

"Well, the least I can do is cover your ugly wound, and keep sweat off of you," I said, and I gestured for her arm again.

Nadia hesitated again, but eventually gave me her arm. There was no point in putting disinfectant on it, but I did it anyways. The sting didn't affect Nadia at all; she just laid there as I put a bit of ointment on the bite. I finished up by wrapping her wound up with white bandages. I grabbed a blanket that had been sitting on the top of the couch, so I threw it over Nadia. I gently put her arm back down, and grabbed the towel to start sopping up the sweat off of her forehead.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked. "My mother possessed your sister's body. I helped her. She was trying to take over Elena's _life_."

I shrugged, a gentle smile on my lips. "I'm Juliet Gilbert." I carefully ran my hand through Nadia's hair, to try and comfort her. "If I can show compassion to Klaus Mikaelson, I can give a little bit of compassion to Katherine Pierce's dying daughter. Dying sucks, no need to go out sweating like a pig."

She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry about what my mother did to you."

I looked over at my wrist. "Well, the cast comes off in a couple of days, so I'm not that angry. Besides, people signed it. Eleven year old Juliet would be _so _jealous."

Nadia shook her head. "No, I mean I'm sorry that she compelled you to forget that you loved Stefan."

Nadia's words hit me like a ton of bricks. No, literally, it was like someone had put ten bricks into a pillow case and had repeatedly bashed me with it.

"What?" I breathed. "I don't love Stefan Salvatore. I don't."

Nadia shook her head again. "Katherine loves Stefan. She wanted nothing more than to be with him. She knew you were a threat; she eliminated the threat. You _do_ love him."

I couldn't say anything more because Matt walked in, carrying a large pillow. I moved over so that I was behind the arm of the couch, but I could still reach Nadia's forehead. I absentmindedly dabbed at her forehead while Matt put the pillow behind her.

I wasn't in love with Stefan. Katherine never compelled me to forget that I did. Tyler told me that werewolf bites can cause hallucinations. She must be hallucinating. That's it. That's the only logical explanation.

Matt sat on the small space next to Nadia on the couch, and he gently took her hands. I smiled at the gesture. Lord knows Matt deserves someone. Too bad that person is dying.

"Your hands are like ice," Matt commented, rubbing them with his own.

Nadia breathed deeply. "Gregor," She mumbled.

Matt had a confused look on his face, and he looked at me for an explanation. "She's probably just hallucinating," I said. "She's done it before."

"No, it's Matt," Matt said. "I'm not-"

"Gregor," She interrupted him. "I'm sorry I betrayed you." Tears slipped down Nadia's cheeks, and I did the best I could to mop them up. "I did it for my mother. I did _everything_ for her."

Matt nodded. "I know you did," He said, going along with her hallucination.

Aww man, my poor Matty. He was so kind, so compassionate. He was definitely one of my favourite people in the world. He deserves _someone_. Hell, if Elena hadn't gotten to him first, and Matt and I grew older to be just best friends, I'd have dated him.

"Forgive me?" Nadia asked, her throat tightening up.

Matt caressed Nadia's cheek. "Yes, I forgive you," He said, a pain clear in his eyes.

Nadia smiled, and she opened her mouth to say something. Instead of words, she made choking noises, as if she couldn't breathe and talk at the same time.

"Hey, shh, it's okay," Matt soothed. I dabbed at her forehead as a bunch of sweat rolled down her face. "It's okay, shh," He said.

"I don't wanna die," Nadia said, clear as day.

"Shh," Matt said again.

I looked up to see everyone had walked into the room. I kept rubbing Nadia's head as she repeated, "I don't wanna die."

Matt stood up, and reluctantly let go of her hand as Bonnie took his place on the couch.

Seemingly back into reality, Nadia asked Bonnie, "What's gonna happen when I die?"

"I'll take your hand," Bonnie explained, taking Nadia's hand as she said so. "And you'll go to the Other Side. Just like that."

"Will it hurt?" Nadia asked.

Bonnie gave her a smile. "You won't feel a thing."

Suddenly, the door burst open, and we all turned around to see Katherine walking through the door.

"I'm here to see my daughter," Katherine declared, and she pushed past everybody as she walked towards Nadia.

Bonnie stood up from the spot on the couch so Katherine could take her place, and I gave Nadia's shoulder a small squeeze as I stood up, and went over next to Matt. I leaned over, putting my hand on his back. "Are you okay?" I whispered.

He shrugged slightly in answer. I sighed, before turning my attention back to Katherine and Nadia.

"Nadia," Katherine breathed, taking her daughter's hand tightly in her own.

Nadia smiled in disbelief. "You came back for me," She choked out.

"I won't leave you again," Katherine assured her as she caressed her face.

"Did you find a way to save me?" Nadia asked.

Katherine hesitated, before she said, "Klaus's blood _would_ have saved you. If I had asked for it."

"You would have outed yourself," Nadia breathed.

"You would have been alive," Katherine shot back. "And now it's too late."

Nadia breathed sharply, and she started hyperventilating. She turned her head back towards Katherine. "My mother's name is Katherine Pierce," She said, obviously hallucinating again. "I'm looking for her."

"You found me," Katherine assured her. "Nadia, I'm _right_ here."

"She is a liar," Nadia continued. "And a murderer. She manipulates. She betrays. She'll do anything to survive."

Katherine began shaking her head. "No, I'm...I'm _right here_," She tried again. "Nadia, look at me. _Look at me_. I'm here, I'm _right_ here."

Nadia swallowed thickly. "I'm looking for my mother," She repeated.

Katherine shook her head again. "No, this is _not_ how your life should have been. 500 years. Searching for a mother who ended up...being _me_."

No matter what horrible things Katherine has done, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. She was a mother, watching helplessly as her child died. Katherine may have caused other mothers to feel the exact same pain, but no one should have to experience it at all.

"Let me show you what your life _should_ have been," Katherine said, and I assumed she was doing that thing where vampires could manipulate your dreams. I've had it done to me by Klaus a few times, apparently. "What your perfect day, _would _have been like."

"You and I had a little cottage," Katherine started. "It was an ordinary summer day. You had been playing outside, so you were tired, and it was time for bed. You told me about the fort you had built. Out in the woods, by the river, and so I asked if I could visit. You said when the sun came up, in the morning. And I said, 'Goodnight, Nadia'." At this point, Katherine's eyes were glistening with tears. "'Sleep well'."

Nadia's breathing evened, and her eyes opened and closed twice more. Then finally, her eyes remained open, and she went still. Her skin started to turn gray, and black veins crawled on her skin.

"Your mother, loves you," Katherine finished, tears streaming down her cheeks, her hand shaking as she stroked Nadia's gray face.

I hadn't even noticed that tears of my own had slipped out until Matt put his arm around me, squeezing me to his side. "Are you okay?" He whispered, kissing the side of my head.

I gently shook mine as I sniffed, brushing my tears away. Nadia did nothing but love her mother. And what did Katherine do? She wasted all of her time pining after someone who didn't even love her. All that time could have been spent with her daughter.

Bonnie went over to the middle of the room, as if she was facing somebody. So, I assumed that Nadia's ghost had appeared, and was ready to pass through Bonnie to get to the Other Side. Bonnie nodded her head, before her face contorted in agony. She concealed her screams, but let slip a groan or two as she felt Nadia's death.

After that was done, we all turned to face Katherine, who still seemed to be in shock. She closed her daughter's eyes, which had been left open when she died. Then, she grabbed the blanket that I had draped over Nadia, and pulled it all the way over so that it was covering her lifeless, desiccated child.

Katherine sighed one final time, before standing up, and turning to face all of us. "So? This is it."

Before anyone could do-or say-anything, she made a run for the door. She grabbed the doorknob, and pulled it open, only to come face to face with Damon.

"Hello, Katherine," He said casually. "You didn't think I'd miss _this_, did you?"

As he walked into his house, Katherine took steps back. Damon shut the front door behind him, and stood in front of it, blocking Katherine's last attempt at an escape.

Katherine scoffed, turning to face the rest of us. "Okay. So, who's got the knife? Which one of you is going to kill the elusive Katherine Pierce once and for all?"

I didn't actually know who had the Traveler knife. I got so caught up in Damon's escape and taking care of Nadia that I had completely forgotten about the knife. Last I heard, Matt had it.

No one said anything as we stared at the girl who had ruined so many lives.

"What?" Katherine asked, throwing her hands up, before dropping them back to her side. "Suddenly _everyone's_ speechless? When I was on my deathbed, you all had plenty to say."

Katherine looked over at Tyler. "Was it you, Tyler?" She walked closer to him. "Because I triggered the werewolf curse, gave you an identity, and made you matter?"

"You've done _nothing_ for me," Tyler spat.

"Oh, _please_, Tyler," Katherine scoffed. "If I hadn't walked into your life, you'd just be a wasted nobody, with a boozy Mom, and a temper problem."

Tyler stepped forward, but Caroline stopped him before he could do anything. "No, don't," She insisted.

Katherine turned to Caroline. "And you," She started. "I'm not worried about you offing me. Because we both know I made you better by making you a vampire."

Even though Caroline knew it was true, she didn't give Katherine the satisfaction as she resisted rolling her eyes. "Goodbye, Katherine," She said firmly.

"Bye-bye, Caroline," Katherine said sweetly, before she moved on to Matt.

Katherine reached over and grabbed Matt's arms. "Oh, the only girl-" She looked over to me, and tilted her head to the side, then looked back to Matt. "The only girl who would actually _do_ something who actually appreciates how beautiful you are. You wouldn't stab me in the heart, would you, Matty Blue?" When Matt didn't reply, she kept going. "Nah, I don't think so. You will definitely go down as the best night I never had. Oh, well..."

"Oh, well..." Matt agreed.

Katherine shifted her attention to me. "Oh, Juliet Gilbert. Perfectly sweet, always compassionate, notices _everything_ Juliet Gilbert," Katherine started. "You were the best friend I never had. No matter what horrible things I've done-even compelling you to forget that I had taken over your sister's body-you've managed to scrap up enough compassion to take care of my child in her final hours. That shows you cared enough about me to do something."

"I did it for Nadia," I told her. "If you weren't off trying to sleep with Stefan, your child would still be alive."

Katherine gritted her teeth. "I can see the compulsion's starting to wear off," She muttered. She cleared her throat. "You didn't drink with everyone when I was dying. You even gave me a nice send off." She reached her hand out for a shake. "I'm returning the gesture. No sarcastic comments, no nasty remarks. Neutral."

Cautiously, I lifted my hand and grabbed hers. We shook carefully.

"Well, it's been a fun ride," Katherine said. "I know you can't remember much of it, though." She sighed. "Goodbye, Juliet Gilbert."

"Goodbye, Katherine Pierce," I said, and we let go of each other's hands.

Katherine went for Jeremy next. "Well, Little Gilbert, it was nice to have a brother for a second there." She rolled her eyes as she turned around. "When you weren't being so damn annoying."

She turned to face Bonnie with a sigh. "Bon-Bon, no need to say goodbye, I'll see you on the flipside."

She moved on, and Katherine finally went face to face with Damon. She moved forward so that she was standing in front of the steps in the parlor. "Damon," She dragged out. "Oh, how you would love nothing more than to drive that blade right through me."

Damon shook his head. "We've already done this, Kitty Kat." He shrugged. "I've said all I've needed to say."

"I know," Katherine said. "But I never got to say what I needed to say to you." She paused. "I'm sorry. You blamed me for who you are, and I'm sorry." Katherine took a step forward. "I'm sorry that I turned you. I'm sorry that you didn't get to die...as a forgotten nobody, on a bloody battlefield, and that your father didn't get to live _another day _to be_ disgraced _by you." At this point, she had climbed the steps and was standing right in front of him. "Damon, I'm sorry that I gave your life a _purpose_. Passion. Drive. Desire." She gave him a bitter smile. "I'm sorry that you are who you are because _I'm_ the one that taught you how to love."

No one dared to say anything until Katherine or Damon did. But Damon finally did speak up, and he said, "I'll see you in hell, Kat."

She gave him one, last, playful wink, and turned around to face the younger Salvatore brother, who had walked up to her while she was talking to Damon.

"Stefan," She sighed slowly, savoring the feeling of his name on her lips. "You know, I've always wondered what it'd be like to be loved by you," She said as she walked up to Stefan so that their chests were touching. They leaned their heads together, and Katherine grabbed the sides of Stefan's sweater. Katherine gazed up into his eyes. "This truly has been the role of a lifetime." She paused as she took a deep breath. "Stefan, I love you. I've always loved you."

This weird feeling built up inside of me when I saw Katherine lean in and give Stefan one final kiss. It wasn't...it couldn't be...jealousy? It was the only word I could think of.

That feeling didn't last very long as I saw Stefan discreetly pull the Traveler knife out. While Katherine was distracted, he took the opportunity to thrust the knife into her for a few seconds, before pulling it back out, effectively ending Katherine Pierce for good.

Katherine desperately clung on to Stefan as she took short, quick breaths, knowing that this was it. This was her end. "Then I guess this is how our love story ends," Katherine gasped as she dropped to the ground.

Matt tried to grab her before she fell right to the ground, but she immediately fought out of his grip as she stumbled away from the rest of us. She took a few steps, and then slipped to the ground. She reached back to stop herself, but she accidentally grabbed the blanket that was covering Nadia and dragged it off as she fell.

We all just stood and watched as Katherine took her final breaths. She glared right back at all of us, her gaze never breaking, her breaths growing raggedier by the second. That is, until she closed her eyes for a brief second. When she opened them again, they were pitch black. She closed them again, and when she opened them, the black was gone. She took one last breath, laid back against her daughter, and closed her eyes. Katherine stopped groaning. She stopped moving.

She was gone.

And I felt like I had _imploded_.

I don't know what happened. I just felt like I stopped getting enough air, and I reached one arm out towards Matt while my other hand went to my chest, trying to regain control of my breathing.

I got a pounding headache that started at the back of my head, that immediately started growing. I dropped to the ground, and I felt someone's arms around me as I screamed in pain. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, and I passed out.

* * *

_Elena hesitated, trying to think of a response. And that's when I realized that somehow, this _wasn't_ Elena. "Katherine?" I said, not wanting to believe it. How did she put herself into Elena?_

"But she's also a doppelganger, and a Traveler, apparently,"_ Bonnie's words ran in my ears. _

"You'll feel her death. Doppelgangers and Travelers are both supernatural creatures," _I remembered myself saying._

_ Bonnie didn't feel Katherine's death. She _didn't feel her death.

_"The Passenger spell," I breathed, looking back up at Elena-or, Katherine. "You used the Passenger spell to put yourself into Elena, didn't you?"_

_ Katherine dropped her Elena façade as she rolled her eyes. "I should have figured that you'd be the first person to figure it out."_

_ Panicking, I lifted my hand to incantate the pain infliction spell so that I could stall her long enough to call Stefan, or even get Caroline out of the house. "Evhas elebuk-"_

_ Katherine sped up to me with her new vampire speed, and grabbed a hold of my wrist, twisting it until the point where it broke. I screamed in agony, and Katherine used the opportunity to rip my vervain necklace off of my neck. I felt naked without it on, but Katherine didn't give me much of a chance to relax as she grabbed the back of my head._

_ "Shut up," She compelled, and without my vervain to render her mind compulsion useless, I was forced to shut my mouth as I moaned in misery._

_ She began compelling me again. "You're going to think that you broke your wrist tripping over a rock on Caroline's front yard," She said. "And you're going to forget that I'm in Elena's body."_

_ "I'm gonna forget you're in Elena' s body," I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth._

_ She was abotu to let me go, but she grabbed my chin firmly. "You're going to forget that you're in love with Stefan Salvatore."_

_ Tears streamed down my face as I repeated, "I'm going to forget that I'm in love with Stefan Salvatore."_

_ "You're not going to accept his advances anymore," She said. "And if he asks what's wrong, tell him that you changed your mind, and that a relationship between the two of you was too risky and not worth it to you."_

_ I choked the words back to her, my heart breaking in half._

_ "And," She continued. "You're going to help me get Stefan back. You're going to do whatever you can to help me get Stefan back."_

_ "I'm going to do whatever I can to help you get Stefan back," I said back to her._

_ "And Katherine Pierce is dead."_

_ "Katherine Pierce is dead."_

_ "Now, forget everything that just happened between us," She finished, throwing me to the ground._

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was in someone's bed. I sat up slightly, and looked around the room. I couldn't place the exact location, but when the door opened, I got an idea of who's room it was.

"Stefan," I breathed, tears building up in my eyes.

I loved Stefan. I truly, truly, loved him.

I wasn't confused.

Nadia wasn't hallucinating.

I loved him.

I threw the blankets right off of me, and leaped out of bed. Stefan looked confused as he shut the door behind him. I didn't stop until I rammed right into him. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, not wanting to let go.

"Oh, Stefan," I cried, tears slipping down my cheeks. I pulled back, cupping Stefan's face.

"Juliet, what's wrong? What's going on?" He asked, still confused.

"This," I said, and I leaned forward and pressed my lips against Stefan's.

He was surprised by my kiss, but he returned it right away. It was clear by the way that he was kissing me that he missed the way my lips were on his, and I didn't even _know _that I missed the way this felt until I was feeling it again.

I pulled away, and leaned my forehead against his, smiling like crazy.

Stefan was smiling the same way. "What happened? I thought you didn't want to be with me."

I grabbed the sides of his sweater tightly. "_Katherine_ made me say all of those things. She compelled me to forget that I liked you, so that she could have you all to yourself."

"And now that Katherine's dead," Stefan thought aloud. "Her compulsion wore off."

"It was already starting to wear off, it was just a little slower than what I would have preferred," I said, giving him another kiss.

"So, does this mean what I think it means?" Stefan asked, a nervous smile on his lips.

I smiled the same way. "Well, if what you think this means has anything to do with the fact that, yes, I _will _be your girlfriend-" I took a second to laugh at how his eyes lit up when I said 'yes'. "-Then, _yes_, it does mean what you think it means."

Stefan laughed in part happiness and part disbelief, before he kissed me again. It was hard and sweet and full of passion.

I wanted to stay in this kiss forever, but we had some more pressing matters at the moment. I pulled away as I said, "Is Elena awake yet?"

Stefan shook his head. "No, not yet."

"I want to be there when she wakes up, where is she?" I asked.

"She's laying down in one of the spare rooms," He said.

I would like to have held Stefan's hand as we walked towards the room, but we agreed to keep things quiet until we got a cure for Damon, and things finally settled down around here.

Hopefully that would be soon.

I walked inside, to see Damon sitting next to her. She still wasn't awake, though. I ran right to her side, caressing the side of her face. "Elena," I breathed.

"Why isn't she awake yet?" Damon asked me as Stefan sat down on the bed in front of her.

My fingers still knotted in Elena's hair, I turned my head slightly to face Damon. "It's different for everybody. It took a while for Matt to wake up when Gregor left his body. I mean, the Passengers _died_. You would think that it would take them a while to fully leave the body." I took my fingers out of Elena's hair and went around the side of the bed, and climbed on top of the bed so that I was sitting next to her.

"Which gives us enough time to talk about what the hell you did," Stefan started, looking over at his brother.

"Relax," Damon said to him. "Thanks to Tyler's friendly donation, I'll be fine for a couple of hours."

"His _unwanted_ donation," I reminded him.

"A few hours, huh?" Stefan nodded. "And then what? What's the plan?"

"I'll tell her everything that I did," Damon said. "Let the chips crash and burn where they may."

"Optimistic," Stefan said.

"Yeah, you're really hopeful there," I added.

"Well, I don't want to be another Katherine Pierce," Damon said. "Katherine spent her whole life running from her problems, only to die here." Damon looked around himself. "Old, and alone."

I took Elena's hand in my own, and we all waited in silence. For once, properly, out of my own will, I was glad that I had Elena. Sure, we might not get along all the time. Siblings never do. But I'm glad that I had someone to fall back to. If I ever needed her, Elena was always there, no matter what the situation.

I think when she wakes up, I'll _properly _apologize. I missed having my sister.

Maybe ten minutes later, I heard a tiny gasp, and I looked over at where the sound came from. There was slight fidgeting in my hands, and I knew. I knew she was awake.

I jumped off of the bed and flew to the other side so that I was looking at Elena properly, and Stefan and Damon both stood up.

"Elena?" I tried.

Elena gently opened her eyes, and her gaze fell to me first. "Hey, Jules," She cautiously said.

"Hi," I said, my breath hitching. "Are you...you?"

"Yeah," Elena said, regaining her breath. "Yeah, it's...it's me." She reached her hand out towards me, and I took it with a squeeze. "I'm here."

Her gaze flickered from me, to Stefan, and then to Damon as I helped her sit up. Halfway up, though, she gasped in uncomfortableness, and she reached into her jacket where she felt the discomfort. And what she pulled out, none of us could have expected.

A syringe.

An _empty_ syringe.

_ This could only mean one thing,_ I thought to myself as I exchanged glances with Stefan and Damon.

Ah, shit, not again.

* * *

**TBC...**

**YAY! Jefan is back together!**

**AND THEY'RE OFFICIAL NOW! WOO HOO!**

**Okay! Hopefully next update is soon! Like I said, I'm going to keep updating this until I'm caught up, then I'm turning my attention to Bloodshed and Rattles, The Originals AU of this story. If you haven't yet, check it out!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	16. While You Were Sleeping

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **NOT a very long chapter, but in my opinion, that's good, because that means that I can finish the season faster!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Our worst fears came true. Elena had been injected with the Ripper virus.

According to Stefan's update texts, she hasn't been showing any symptoms yet, which was good for me, considering I went to Wes's lab at the college to try and find anything related to the virus, so that meant we had more time until she turned savage.

I scoured the entire lab, and I had made it to the shelves that had tubes and jars and stuff when I found a tape recorder. I grabbed it, and turned it on.

"_I have finally extracted the werewolf venom from Nadia Petrova's blood_," Wes's voice said. "_The addition of the venom will make the Ripper virus even more lethal to vampires_."

I paused the recording. "Oh God," I breathed, knocking the tape recorder against my forehead.

"So werewolves _are_ real," A new voice rang out, and I gasped as I spun around to see who it was. I groaned internally when I saw _who_.

"I always thought that, was, you know, a joke," Enzo finished, a smirk on his lips.

"Enzo," I sighed. "What a horrible surprise."

"Oh, come on now, Doll Face," Enzo said as he started walking towards me. "I remember how concerned you were when Wes shot me in the shoulder."

I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath in. Yeah, I knew I was going to regret that. "I only did that because I care about everybody, okay? Get off my back." I shook my head. "What the hell are you even _doing _here? Wes is dead, go celebrate your freedom."

"Well, that's the thing," Enzo started. "It's more fun to celebrate freedom with your friends, which is why I'm here."

"Listen, we're not friends-"

"Oh, I'm not talking about you," Enzo corrected. "I'm talking about Damon. This Ripper virus really has become a nuisance, I want it out of our lives."

"Well, I'm sure you and Damon will have a _swell _time killing people once he's cured," I started to say, giving Enzo a pointed look. "But _I'm _looking for the cure to save my sister, and you distracting me is another second she gets closer to ripping out someone's throat. Now, if you'll excuse me," I said, pushing past him to keep looking.

"Aren't you the least bit impressed that I have the antidote?" Enzo's voice called out, and I stopped in my tracks.

I turned around to face Enzo. "What?"

* * *

I pulled out my cell phone to call Stefan after Enzo explained the situation to me. "Bad news," I started when he picked up. "It's not the same virus."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Everyone's favourite scientist was working on another version of the virus," I said. "When Nadia got sick, he experimented on her blood, and he managed to find a way to extract werewolf venom from her blood, and put it in the virus."

"Wait, what do you mean 'werewolf venom'?" Stefan questioned. "That means it's fatal."

"Wow, did you really think that I was going to tell you that my sister was doomed over a phone call?" I asked. "There's an antidote for the virus."

Enzo made a 'wrap it up' gesture with his finger, so I started talking faster. "You just have to come meet me. I'll text you the address."

"Why can't you just bring it over here?" He asked.

"Because I can't. You have to go there, and don't ask why. I can't tell you," I said.

"Julie, that doesn't make any sense," Stefan said. "Just tell me exactly..."

"Stefan, if I could tell you I'd be helping Elena right now. I'll text you the address."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," Stefan persisted.

I huffed. Ugh, my annoying boyfriend! I ignored the tingle I felt as I thought the word 'boyfriend' in my head. "It has to do with the Travelers. They don't want anyone to know what's going on, and anyone includes other witches that have been doing our bidding recently," I said. "Trust me on this one. Get here as fast as you can."

We both hung up, and I stuffed the phone into my pocket. I must have still looked a little pissed, because Enzo said, "You know, you're cute when you're angry."

I gave him a look as I pushed past him, and walked out of the room.

* * *

I drove to the address that the Travelers gave me, and ended up at an abandoned train station. I'll admit, I felt really apprehensive about meeting so many Travelers at once. My experience with Travelers up until now haven't been really good. And on top of that, they all know what's so special about me being a Christos Traveler. Maybe I can get some answers.

My phone rang, and I took it out my pocket to see it as an unknown number. I hesitantly answered it. "Hello?"

"Jules, it's me," Elena's voice greeted. "Stefan got me a new phone, since Katherine put a lock on my old one."

"That's good," I said. "About your new phone, I mean."

"Yeah," She said, but she sounded distracted. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," I told her as I came to a stop.

"Is Aaron Whitmore really _that_ mad at me?" She asked. "I mean, do you know who Aaron Whitmore is?"

My heart stopped. Yes, I knew who Aaron Whitmore is. No, he's not really that mad at you. Because he's not alive to be mad at you.

That must mean that Damon hasn't told her about Aaron yet. I decided against telling her. That would be the worst thing for her right now, telling her could wait until later. "Yeah, I know who Aaron is," I started. "But I haven't really spoken to him since we got you back from Wes. I wouldn't know."

"Oh, okay," Elena sighed. "Are you looking for the antidote?"

"Yeah, I am," I told her, and I looked out my window to see Stefan's car pulling in. "And I really should go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay."

"And Elena?"

"Yeah?"

"I _promise_ I'll get you out of this mess."

I could hear her smile on the other line. "Thank you. And Jules?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I don't say this often-and, I really should-but I love you," She said. "Call me when you find out anything."

I had a smile on my face as we both hung up. I got out of my car, and saw Stefan getting out of his. I went over to him. "Elena's asking about Aaron."

"What did you tell her?" Stefan asked as we started walking.

"Nothing!" I exclaimed. "I thought it would be better if we told her _after_ she no longer feels like killing every vampire in sight."

"Damon'll tell her," Stefan reassured me.

"Really? When?" I asked.

"_Hey, Elena, I killed Aaron'_," Stefan imitated Damon. "It's not exactly a casual conversation starter."

"Killing your ex-girlfriend's friend just because she broke up with you isn't exactly casual either," I brought up. "But Damon did it without a problem."

"Or I can just tell her," Enzo's voice said, and Stefan and I both turned around to look at him. "Considering I was lying in the road when he stopped his car."

"So, what's in this for you?" Stefan asked. "Aside from getting Damon to undo every positive decision he's ever made."

"Is it such an anomaly for Damon to have a friend?" Enzo asked, and Stefan gave him a shrug. "Well, if so, consider me honoured."

"Whatever!" I exclaimed. "We're here, we came here for an antidote. Where is it?"

Enzo nodded his head behind him, and all of a sudden, a whole group of people started dispersing through the stockyard and coming out of train cars.

Travelers.

One woman in particular walked right over to Stefan and I.

"Who are you?" Stefan asked.

"I'm Sloan," She answered. "And you met some of the Travelers when they were taking a bucket of your blood."

"Oh yeah, how could I forget?" Stefan said sarcastically. "So, you have the antidote to the Ripper virus, correct?"

"We do, thanks to Enzo," Sloan answered, nodding her head next to the British man.

"Doll Face and I were stuck in that bloody farm house with Damon," Enzo started, nodding his head at me. "Set to have my head ripped off, when out of nowhere, Wes showed up with the Travelers and saved my life on the condition that I owed him one."

"What does that have to do with us?" I asked, speaking for the first time.

"He was running low on vampires and he needed one to continue his work, so I let him experiment on me," Enzo explained. "Among other things, it allowed him to make an antidote."

"When he died, the Travelers took it," Sloan said. "And seeing as Elena is valuable to us, we're in the process of using Wes' resources to find a cure for her virus as well."

"Alright. Fine. When will it be done?" Stefan asked.

"First, we have to find something," Sloan explained.

"Okay," Stefan agreed. "What do you need?"

"Another one of you."

"What do you mean, there's another one of me out there?" Stefan asked as Sloan began clearing up some stuff.

"You never stopped to think that there might be another doppelganger running around?" Enzo asked, and I felt bad saying that, no, the thought never occurred to me. But it was totally plausiable. "Clearly you don't know your Traveler lore."

"I'm sorry that I found out I was a Traveler like, four months ago," I said. "And I've had no one telling me anything or training me or giving me any information as to what my family was like." I crossed my arms. "Besides, what do you know about Traveler lore?"

"I've been stuck with them for the last few weeks, and I've picked up on a few things," Enzo said. "Like how the last remaining doppelgangers are special."

"Special, how?" I pressed.

"None of your business," Sloan snapped.

I gave her a look. "Excuse me, the last time I checked I was a Traveler," I practically growled. This was probably my only opportunity to figure anything out and I'll be damned if I let someone like Sloan step in the way. I stepped towards her. "This _is_ my business."

"Cool off, Doll Face," Enzo said, putting his arm in front of my and making me step back. "You'll have to excuse Sloan. She's under a bit of stress. Uh, the leader of the Travelers-Marcus, was it?" He asked Sloan.

"Markos," She corrected.

"Markos," Enzo restarted. "See?" He said, in reference to Sloan's bitchy attitude. "Wants the blood of the last remaining doppelgangers and the Christos Traveler, i.e, you, Elena, and Juliet."

"What?" I asked. "Why me?" See, this _was_ my business.

"Yeah, when the Travelers drained Elena and I before, Jules wasn't there to get hers drained," Stefan defended.

"No, she wasn't _drained_," Enzo agreed. "But she did have her blood taken. Do you remember that?"

The memory came flooding back to me. When Nadia asked for our help to save Katherine, she stuck a needle in my arm and took some of my blood. "Why do the Travelers need my blood?"

"It's special," Enzo shrugged.

"But how?" Stefan asked.

Enzo rolled his eyes. "I don't know, they wouldn't tell me," Enzo said. "Tip for you? Your people are very secretive." He shook his head. "But what we _do_ know is that until the last doppelganger is out of the picture, your blood, when mixed with Elena's and Jules's, doesn't do squat."

"So what?" Stefan asked. "You do a locator spell until you find this guy and then you kill him?"

"It's more of a linking spell," Sloan corrected.

"Last time a witch linked me to my doppelganger she fried my brain and I lost my memory," Stefan told her.

"Then we better be careful," Was all that Sloan had to say.

* * *

"Look, between you and Enzo, you can 'em," I whispered to Stefan as we walked to a separate section of the train station.

"Did you just hear the words that came out of your mouth?" Stefan asked. "You're _Juliet_. You don't think like that."

I huffed. "When I'm pushed to the extremes I do!" I protested, and Stefan gave me a look. "Fine! I was desperate. I'm sorry."

"It'll be fine," Stefan assured me.

"Yeah, and what if it's not?" I asked. "What if you lose your memory again?"

"Well, if I lose my memory, then I won't remember that I had anything to worry about in the first place. See? Win-win."

I gave him the look that he gave me not one minute ago. "Let's be real. Who volunteers themselves for witch shock therapy?"

"Me, and would do it for you, too," Stefan said, and I couldn't help but smile. "Look, let's just say that they _do _fry my brain."

"I won't hesitate to kill them," I said without hesitation. Stefan looked over at me. "Okay, fine. I won't hesitate to tell _Enzo_ to kill them."

"Right. And then you'll spiral out of control about telling someone to kill them, and then, do me a favour." Stefan leaned over so that he was whispering in my ear. "Remind me that we're dating," He said, his voice just below a whisper. "I'd hate to forget that I was dating a wonderful girl like you."

I tried and failed at hiding the smile that crossed my face at Stefan's words. We finally came face to face with the Travelers. Sloan was at the head, and she gestured to the seat in front of her. "That's for you," She said to Stefan. "Sit."

"Where are the antidotes?" Stefan asked, not moving from his spot beside me.

"You'll get them when we're done," Sloan told him.

"No," Stefan replied, dragging out the word. "You'll hand them over right now. I'm here, I'm doing everything you want me to."

"I'll take them," Enzo offered. "I'll make sure the appropriate parties get them."

Sloan nodded to one of the Travelers behind her, and he handed Enzo the serums. "If you don't trust me, you're welcome to join, Tinkerbell."

Ugh, seriously? First Doll Face, and now Tinkerbell? "Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass this one up, Peter Pan. Take one of the Lost Boys."

Enzo shrugged. "Very well, then. Best of Luck." And with that, he left.

Sloan gestured to the seat again, and Stefan went over and sat down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sloan take out a knife.

"Wait!" I protested. "What happened to not hurting him?"

"No, I said I'd _try_ not to hurt him," Sloan clarified. "I need his blood-and yours for the spell."

Stefan pulled his hand away from Sloan. "Wait a second. _Tessa _didn't need my blood when she linked me to Silas."

"Good for her," Sloan shrugged. "We do."

Sloan grabbed Stefan's hand, and made a long cut across it. She tilted his hand so that the blood fell on to the silver plate that was beside him.

Sloan turned around, and nodded her head to a guy in the back. "Ivan, get over here."

Ivan walked towards Sloan, and there was something oddly familiar about him. I mean, I've never seen him before, but I felt this weird sense of familiarity inside of me.

She gestured to me. "Give me your hand."

"Why?" I asked, putting my hands behind my back.

Sloan rolled her eyes. "Now that we have the Christos Travelers back together, with your blood mixed together, the spell will have double the power." She put her hand out. "Hand. Now."

"Wait, _what_?" I asked, the words not registering.

_Christos Traveler_s_ back together again. _

I looked at Ivan, and I knew why he was familiar.

He had my hair colour.

My eye colour.

My smile.

He was my brother.

Ivan looked a bit uncomfortable as he gave Sloan his hand. She cut it, and let his blood pour into the plate. He brought his hand back, and Sloan held her hand out again. "Now, Juliet."

I never took my eyes off of Ivan as I gave her my left hand (that was now free of a cast) and she made a cut identical to the one on Stefan's hand. I didn't even notice as the blood poured into the bowl.

He was my brother.

My _brother_.

I had another brother.

I was so enthralled in the idea of me having a living relative that I didn't notice Sloan dip her fingers into the mixed blood, and put them on Stefan's temples.

That is, until he started screaming.

I faintly heard the Travelers-including Ivan-chant, "_Odka na vonas czech nat, misteni!_"

I shut my eyes in the hopes to block out Stefan's screams. It didn't work, though. I put my hands over my ears in another attempt, but it still didn't work. When I opened my eyes, they were glistening with tears. Hearing your boyfriend's terrible screams of pain wasn't exactly what one wanted to hear.

For the next several hours, I was forced to watch as the Travelers worked away at Stefan's head. I was seriously considering running up to Sloan and just wringing her little throat.

"Why are you taking so long?" I asked, balling my hands into fists.

"Just a little deeper," Sloan said, pausing from the spell. She resumed it quick enough.

The other Travelers kept chanting the spell, and Sloan said, "I see him. He's in a city."

"He's in Atlanta," Stefan rasped.

"Fantastic!" I interjected. "Now that you've found him, knock it off!"

"Keep going! Push harder!" Sloan said, and the other Travelers kept going, except this time, they were way louder. Once they started getting louder, the fire around us started jumping up, and getting bigger. It was like the louder the Travelers got, the higher the flames got.

"You know where he is!" I protested, stepping closer to Sloan. "What the hell else do you need? Stop!"

"We can't!" Sloan asserted. "We're not done!"

Stefan tried concealing his screams, but I honestly think that it was more for my benefit than it was for his. He knew that I had started to get angry the minute they started hurting him.

"The link isn't strong enough. We need more information!" Sloan persisted.

"Stop it! You're going too far, he'll lose his memories!" I exclaimed, tears threatening. "Stop!"

"We need the doppelganger dead," Sloan explained. "Louder!"

The word "No!" slipped past my lips, but the other Travelers paid me no heed as they continued to chorus the spell. I looked towards Ivan, who clearly knew how distressed I was.

Unfortunately, he just chimed on with the other Travelers.

Stefan's screams filled my ears, and that's when I knew. That's when I knew that I was done.

I grabbed the knife that Sloan had used to cut our hands, and I ran up to her before anybody could stop me. I grabbed the back of her head as I put the knife to her throat.

What was I _doing?_ This was _Juliet Gilbert_. Other than a few spells here and there as a threat, I'd never made an attempt on someone's life before.

Well, that was before they threatened Stefan.

"If you hurt me, they'll kill you," Sloan pointed out. She gulped as I brought the knife closer to her throat.

I rolled my eyes with a scoff. "_Please_. I am a Christos Traveler. I have no idea what that means, but because of how desperate people have been for my blood, it definitely means that you can't afford to have me dead."

"This isn't Juliet Gilbert," Sloan said. "This isn't who Enzo said you were."

"Well," I said, pressing the knife against her throat. "Enzo clearly hasn't met Eumelia Christos." I cleared my throat. "Now, tell them to stop. I'll take the knife away from your neck, and we can work something out so that we can all win."

* * *

It was a long discussion, but the Travelers and I finally came to a conclusion. One that involved a phone call that I did _not_ want to make.

After I spoke with said person on the phone, I went to sit next to Stefan to wait for him to wake up, but someone came in front of me, blocking my way.

Ivan.

"Hey," I stammered.

"Hey," Ivan said in the same tone.

What does one say to the brother that they did not know that they had? Hey, what's up, why did you never call me?

He sighed in contentment, before gesturing to me. "Eumeila, look at you! You've grown out."

"That's nice," I commented. "Um, sorry about earlier and threatening Sloan."

"No, I'm sorry I didn't help you," Ivan said. "I saw how distressed you were, but-"

"Sorry!" I interrupted. "I just, I can't do this whole 'oblivious' thing," I told him. "I'm Juliet Gilbert, and I'm gonna be upfront."

Ivan nodded, gesturing for me to continue.

I sighed. "Who the hell _are_ you? My brother, my cousin?"

"I'm your brother," He answered. "Well, your twin."

"I have a twin," I sputtered, my eyebrows shooting up to my hairline. "Well, that's nice to know."

"Eumelia, I'm sorry I didn't call you all these years," Ivan said. "The Travelers told me that you were comfortable living the life that you had when you became Juliet Gilbert. I didn't want to disturb that."

I put my hands up, stepping back. "Listen, it's been a very strange day," I said. "My vampire sister got injected with a virus that made her want to eat other vampires, my friend and I had to come to some abandoned place to find other Travelers, only to have them fry the mind of my friend while they were looking for his doppelganger, I found out I had a twin brother, and now I have to go on a freaking _road trip _with the guy that has previously kidnapped me." I huffed. "I just need a minute to myself before we can talk."

Ivan looked like he had the weight of the universe on his shoulders, but he finally nodded. "Yeah, yeah, of course. I should have figured."

He awkwardly shuffled towards me, and it took me a second to realize that he was trying to go for a hug. I leaned forward, and gave him perhaps the most awkward hug I've ever given in my life.

I pulled away from Ivan, not looking at him as I went over to where Stefan was. He was still unconscious, so I groaned as I slipped down next to him. I buried my face in my knees, wrapping my arms around my legs.

It _had _been a very strange day.

A few minutes later, I felt Stefan starting to stir next to me. I turned so that my body was facing Stefan. "Stefan?" I urged.

He had a confused look on his face as he breathed, "Elena, hi."

"Oh my God," I muttered, putting my hand to my forehead. Not again.

He smiled as he said, "I'm kidding. Caroline, right?"

I growled playfully as I smacked him in the chest. "Caroline's not even a brunette! And that was _not_ funny! Seriously, we still have a problem with my memories."

"Did it work?" Stefan asked, not even fazed by my attempted hit.

"Engine's running, Tinkerbell," Enzo's voice interjected. "I do appreciate the call. Let's go do this thing."

Stefan looked between the two of us as I internally crumbled. Was I really going to do this? "Did I miss something?" He asked.

Enzo walked towards us as I said, "To kill your doppelganger, Sloan was going to fry your brain. No way in hell was that going to happen, not as long as I was around. So the other Travelers and I have come to an understanding that involves Enzo. We're going to go deal with it."

"You mean...kill him?" Stefan asked incredously.

I was forced to nod. I know, it was a crime for someone like me to commit murder. A) it was illegal, b) I don't like killing people, and c) I had to do it with _Enzo_.

"Jules, you can't-" Stefan started, but I cut him off.

"They only need one alive," I explained. "It's you versus him, and I know who I'm gonna pick every time."

"Alright, fine," Stefan agreed. "But I'm coming with you."

"No, mate, you aren't," Enzo said. "The need to use you to keep track of him." Enzo nodded his head at me. "Tick-tock, Gorgeous. Time is of the essence."

I rolled my eyes as I turned back to Stefan. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," I said, and as an added measure, I threw in, "You'd do the same for me, right?"

Stefan gave me an annoyed look because he knew I got him. "I don't trust him," Stefan said with a nod towards Enzo.

"Trust me, neither do I," I told him. Why would I trust the guy that kidnapped me? "And just in case you're _still_ not convinced, watch this." I cleared my throat as I lifted my hand in Enzo's direction. "_Evhas elebuk estupay._"

Enzo groaned in pain as he clutched at his head. He turned his head in my direction as I lifted the spell. "What the hell was that for?"

"I was proving a point," I said sweetly. I turned my head back towards Stefan, who looked impressed. "The compulsion that Enzo put on me is officially lifted."

"How do you know that he won't try to compel you again?" Stefan asked.

In answer, I brushed my hair back, to reveal the vervain locket that he had given me in the first few weeks we had known each other. "I'm wearing vervain. I'll be fine."

"And if he rips the necklace off?" Stefan asked.

I rolled my eyes at his protectiveness, but I was prepared in case that happened too. I reached into my coat and pulled out a small vial of vervain mixed with water. I removed the cap, and downed the contents. I wiped my lips as I dropped the vial into Stefan's hand. "I have plenty more. I'll be fine. And if I'm not, you can hold me responsible."

He finally nodded, and I had to resist the urge to lean over and give him a goodbye kiss. I couldn't, not with Enzo around.

I walked down the steps of the train car, ignoring the hand that Enzo had offered. We walked towards his car, and I started second guessing my decision. All the questions in my head that I had thought up of but pushed aside before came flooding back into my head.

Was I really safe with Enzo? Would the two of us be able to be in a car without ripping out the other's throat? Would we be able to find the other doppelganger? What was I supposed to do with a twin brother? What did he know? Did he know _anything_?

More importantly, will I actually be able to take another person's life?

Enzo opened the passenger side door for me. "Get in, Doll Face. We have a long journey ahead of us."

* * *

**TBC...**

**So next episode is supposed to be Juliet and Enzo...Let's just see how this goes.**

**Also, Juliet has a brother? A living Christos relative?**

**Her brother's got a lot to do with the Christos mystery, especially in the next chapter.**

**Well, until next time, which is hopefully soon!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	17. Rescue Me

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **This chapter is a bit longer! I hope you enjoy it!

**Enjoy!**

I huffed as I skimmed over a breakfast menu. Since vampires don't need to sleep, Enzo drove straight through the night so that we could make it to Atlanta. And now that we were here, I practically demanded that he take me to a restaurant to get some breakfast. I hadn't killed him yet, but I was going to get _very_ close if I didn't have any food in my body.

My phone buzzed, and I looked over to it. It was an alarm. I grabbed it, and groaned when I saw what the alarm _was_.

_Jer's parent teacher conference._

And since Jeremy had no parents and I was the oldest Gilbert, the responsibility fell to me. That was gonna be kind of hard considering I'm in Atlanta plotting someone's death.

I texted Elena asking her to go to the conference instead, and she texted back saying that she would. I had just put the phone down when it started buzzing again, but this time, it was a phone call. And the caller ID was Sloan.

I looked up at Enzo, who had the same idea as me. I reached forward to grab my phone, but of course, Enzo was quicker than me, and he took my phone and answered it.

"Atlanta assassination squad," Enzo greeted. "How may we be of service?"

"I take it you haven't located the doppelgänger yet?" I could hear Sloan ask.

"You told us to find a nameless doppelgänger at the scene of a car accident in a city full of freeways, fried green tomatoes, and terrible drivers," Enzo pointed out. "It's not exactly as easy as I sounds. That, and Juliet was literally about to have my head unless I got her something to eat."

I had to conceal my smile as I studied the menu. I couldn't let Enzo know that I thought that he was funny, even for just a second.

"Which is why I'm calling," Sloan explained. "The doppelgänger's name is Tom Avery. And I just saw him deliver a patient to Atlanta Metro Hospital."

Wait, she _saw_ him? But...that _had_ to mean...

"Oh, no she _didn't_," I growled, grabbing the phone right out of Enzo's hand. "Do you not know the meaning of the word _deal_? We both make an agreement, you hold up your end, and I hold up mine." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "I find the doppelgänger-"

"Tom," Sloan interrupted me.

I gritted my teeth, trying to keep my anger in check. "_Tom_," I said as if it actually _mattered_. "I deal with him, and you stop using Stefan as a link. Because every time that you do, you fry Stefan's brain."

Enzo rolled his eyes at me as he covered them with his eyes. I gave him an annoyed look in return.

"I don't give a damn about his brain," Sloan scoffed. "It's his blood that matters. And until Stefan and Elena are the last two doppelgängers on Earth, their blood-and yours-is useless to me. So you better believe that I will give Stefan a back alley lobotomy if you fail to kill Tom Avery."

My anger finally reached a boiling point. "And you better believe that I am not above snapping your neck and the necks of the rest of the Travelers. I don't care if you _are _my people. So if _you_ fail to keep up your part of the deal, I won't hesitate to kill you, too."

Before Sloan could say anything, I hung up, practically throwing the phone on to the table. I took a deep breath in, trying to keep my anger in check.

Did I _seriously_ just threaten someone? _Again_?

"'I won't hesitate to kill you, too,'" Enzo repeated. "You're like an innocent, brunette Angel of Death." He pointed at me as he reached for his coffee cup. "Almost had me convinced."

I groaned as I put my head down on the table.

This was going to be a _very long_ day.

* * *

After breakfast, Enzo and I made our way to the Atlanta Metro hospital. I sat down in one of the waiting chairs as Enzo went over to talk to the receptionist. A few minutes later, he came back, and plopped himself into the seat next to me. "The receptionist doesn't know Tom personally, but I compelled him to call someone who does," He informed me.

"Vampires get to have all the fun," I grumbled as I crossed my legs.

"What do you mean?" Enzo asked. He gestured at me. "It's witches that have all the fun."

"Not when you don't have access to traditional magic," I told him. "Vampires, on the other hand, have super speed, super strength, _and_ you can tell people what to do." I reached over and grabbed a magazine from the table that was separating our chairs. "What I wouldn't give to compel Jeremy to give me a nice, long, foot rub."

Enzo finally nodded. "Okay, you have a point there," He agreed.

We eventually lapsed into silence as I pretended to read the magazine. I wasn't really reading it because my mind was everywhere else. I don't think I've been so stressed in my _life_.

First off, I have to kill someone.

Second, that someone is the doppelgänger of my boyfriend.

Third, my boyfriend was in the hands of my people who wouldn't stop hurting him unless I killed his doppelgänger.

Fourth, I have a twin brother whom I've _never_ known about.

Fifth, I am on a mission with a man that's previously kidnapped _and_ compelled me, and here he was, practically flirting with me.

And sixth, what was happening at Jeremy's parent-teacher conference?

"Okay, I give up," Enzo broke the silence after ten minutes. "I can't tell if you're avoiding the mission or avoiding me."

"Does it have to be one or the other?" I casually asked as I flipped a page.

"Look, I think I've earned some company here," Enzo countered. "Especially after hand delivering the antidote that kept Damon and Elena from consuming each other..._literally_."

"Yeah, well, you kidnapped me," I reminded him. "That doesn't exactly _earn_ company." I finally looked over at him. "And to have good company, you must have trust, which I definitely don't have for you. Why are you even _here_? Shouldn't you be terrorizing some poor village?"

Enzo gave me a look as he said, "Damon's trying to be a good boy these days."

I rolled my eyes as I turned back to my magazine. Of course.

"Which means I'm in need of a new murder buddy," He continued, and I could feel his stare on me.

I turned my head, and gave him a disapproving glare. I don't even murder! I haven't murdered! Well...that'll change today...

"I'm joking," Enzo smirked. "A joke? British humour?"

I took a deep breath in as I turned back to the magazine. I could hear Enzo pick up a magazine too, and I heard him turn the pages of the magazine. Good. Maybe he'll finally shut up.

To my disappointment, he opened his mouth again. "Ah, modern women. All bosom, no mystery. Present company excluded."

I growled as I slammed my magazine against my lap. "Oh my God, _please_ don't tell me that I'm the actual reason that you came."

"Why not?" Enzo questioned as he closed his magazine and put it down. "From what Damon tells me, I _am_ your type," He continued as he put the magazine back down on the table.

I shook my head as Enzo went on. "Well-traveled, charming accent, dodgy morals..."

Why would Damon tell Enzo about me and Klaus? That's just _weird_. "Hang on, the last time I checked, you've been locked in a cell for the past fifty years," I pointed out. "What kind of traveling have _you_ been doing?"

Enzo didn't say anything, and I gave him a sweet smile. "Exactly," I drawled, turning back to the stupid magazine.

"Well, to be honest, you remind me of someone I once knew," Enzo revealed. "She worked for the Augustines."

"So she tortured you?" I assumed. "Well, I guess that's one way to get to a man's heart. _Literally_."

Enzo actually, genuinely _smiled_ at my comment. "Maggie was only there to observe my behaviour in captivity. I quite liked her, actually."

"Look, that's sweet and all," I started. "You know, the whole, 'she made me want to be a better man', thing, but-"

"Not at all," Enzo interrupted me. "She just reminded me that I was good all along."

Enzo? _Good_? I raised my eyebrows in surprise. What the hell was up with _that_? He said it so genuinely, kind of heartfelt, too. Enzo confused me by the second.

Before I could say anything, we were interrupted by another voice. "You were asking about Tom Avery?" A Doctor asked.

Enzo and I stood up. "Yes," I answered. "We need to see him right away. It's really a matter of life and death."

"I wish I could help," the Doctor said. "Tom Avery was a pain in my ass, but he was also the best paramedic I've ever had."

Wait, _was_?

"What do you mean, 'was'?" Enzo asked, voicing my thoughts.

"He disappeared four months ago. No one knows where he is." And with that, the Doctor left.

Enzo looked over at me, with a look that clearly said, "Now what?"

I was forced to call Stefan. Without knowledge of where the doppelgänger (yes, I'm not referring to him by name in a desperate attempt at easing my growing guilt) was, we couldn't kill him.

"I hope you're calling to tell me that the doppelgänger's dead," Sloan's voice said.

I rolled my eyes at the women's ignorance. "You're stupid visions are the reason that we're in a mess right now. Give Stefan the phone."

To my surprise, Sloan listened, and I heard Stefan's voice. "Juliet, what happened?"

"Apparentally, your doppelgänger's been missing for four months," I told him. "Is there anything else that you saw that could help us?"

"No, I can't remember anything," He answered, and I internally crumbled. "After the spell happened, it's like I blacked out."

"The link connects us to the doppelgänger's mind. If we're seeing old memories, that means we have to go deeper," Sloan said.

"Wait!" I protested. "No, no, no! If he's starting to black out, that means his memories are starting to get erased."

Sloan started chanting the same spell from before, and I heard Stefan starting to groan in agony, much worse than it was last night.

"Stefan?" I said, trying to get through to him. I felt anger at Sloan bubbling up in my stomach, but also worry for Stefan. "Stefan? Stefan, can you hear me?"

I didn't get a response, just more moans from Stefan's part. I felt the wind pick up around me as my worry grew.

"Uhh, Doll Face?" Enzo started.

I didn't pay attention to him as Stefan's screams got louder. "It's okay, Stefan. Stefan? Just listen to the sound of my voice. Focus," I pleaded.

I sniffled as tears threatened to escape me. The wind was getting stronger as the lights began to flicker.

"Juliet!" Enzo tried again.

But again, I didn't listen. "Say something! Stefan, please. Please...say something," I begged, anxiously biting my nails.

Stefan's screams stopped, and so did the chanting. "Juliet, I'm here," Stefan breathed.

I sighed in happiness as all my tension died. Just as it did, the lights stopped flicking, and the wind calmed down again.

"6643 Peachtree Drive," Stefan reported. "There was, uh, a redheaded woman. Her name was Hazel."

"Okay, thanks," I said, wiping the tears that managed to escape off of my face. "I promise, I'll get this mess sorted out and we can go home."

"Juliet, he's a good person," Stefan told me. "Don't do it."

Wait, _what_?

I have never felt so much confusion in my entire life.

"Clock's ticking," Sloan reminded me, and she hung up.

I growled in frustration as I nearly threw my phone on the ground.

Well, that's just _great_.

* * *

I wrapped my sweater tighter around me as I stepped out of Enzo's car. It was _really_ cold for mid-spring.

"It's a miracle we found the place," Enzo said as we walked up to the house. "Every other street in this blasted city is Peachtree."

"Not the best idea," I chattered, putting my arms around myself in an attempt to make me feel warmer.

Enzo turned around to look at me taking baby steps because of how freaking _cold _I was. "Tinkerbell, there are _snails_ moving faster than you."

"I'm sorry if I'm human and if I get cold," I sneered as I finally managed to get to the steps.

Enzo rolled his eyes as he took his jacket off. "Here," He offered, holding it out towards me.

I eyed him, and the jacket. "What's that for?"

He rolled his eyes yet again as he walked over to me. He grabbed my left arm gently, and shoved it through the armhole. He did the same on the other side, before walking over to stand in front of me. "If it means not hearing your teeth clattering, _please_ take my jacket," He said, zipping it up.

I immediately shoved my hands in the pockets, and relished at the warmth. The jacket was already kind of warm, because Enzo was wearing it, and I nearly fell to the ground to take a nap.

I cleared my throat. "Uh, thanks. But, let's just get this done."

Enzo nodded, and turned back around to face the door. I looked over to the mail box, that was overflowing with mail. I plucked one of the letters out, and studied the date.

"This letter was delivered four months ago," I informed Enzo as I dropped it to the ground.

He rapped on the door, but there was no answer. So he tried the doorknob next, but that didn't work either. "Seventy years in a cage...You'd think I'd learn to pick a lock by now."

Enzo snapped the doorknob off of the door, and it swung open. Sitting in the middle of the front room was a woman with red hair. Her eyes were milky white, and there were candles lit up all around her.

"That's her. She's got the red hair," I told Enzo, remembering Stefan's words. "And perfect. She's a witch."

I moved forward to walk in, but I was stopped by an invisible barrier. I was _really_ starting to get sick of these. "And she must have put up a protective spell," I seethed, crossing my arms.

"There won't be one for long," Enzo promised, tossing the doorknob in the air before he caught it. Without warning, he launched the doorknob in the women's direction, and it hit her point blank in the head, killing her. The candles in the room also died as her body flopped on to the ground.

"Why the hell did you do that?" I thundered turning towards Enzo. "She was the _only_ lead that we had!"

"And I'm a murderous vampire," Enzo retorted, leaning a bit closer to me. "_Surprise._"

He stepped into the house without a problem as I shook my head at him.

And to think that I was starting to think he was a _little_ nice.

I followed him into the house, and I groaned at the sight of the dead witch. "Well, that's just _perfect_." I started to pace, trying to keep my anger in check. "Look what you did!"

"She was in a bloody _trance_," Enzo protested. "She was unable to answer questions. I don't see why you're mad. I'm only doing what's necessary to save your friend, because you won't."

I gave him a look. "You don't think that I can do this, do you?"

"'This' being the cold-blooded murder of an innocent man?" Enzo queried. "You can hardly say the word. How do you expect to actually _do _it?"

I looked at him in disbelief. "I'm sorry, but unlike you, killing people doesn't come naturally to me. You don't know me. You have no idea who I am!" I thundered, and the candles that were previously unlit, lit up. "How about we start over, huh? Hello, my name is Juliet Gilbert. My birth name is Eumelia Christos, and I am a Traveler. I show compassion to _everyone_, and I don't kill people just for the hell of it!"

"You've got me all wrong, Juliet Gilbert," Enzo said as he took a few steps towards me. "I'm not judging you. I'm _preparing_ you."

I scoffed as Enzo continued. "I've seen soldiers, men _trained_ to kill, look their enemy in the eye, and freeze up on the battlefield-a hesitation that costs them their lives."

"That's some nice advice and all-for a _soldier_. I'm just a Traveler that's trying to save the life of her friend. Stefan is very important to me and he's always the one that's putting his neck on the line to save everyone else. It's time that someone returns that favour," I ranted.

Enzo opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself, turning his head slightly to the side.

"What is it?" I asked. "What do you hear?"

"The tell-tale heart," He speculated.

He's here? Tom's here?

Enzo started heading towards where the sound was, and that place turned out to be the basement.

I walked down the steps, and stopped in my tracks when I reached the bottom. There was a person in the middle of the room hooked up to IV bags, but the person looked unconscious, for now.

It could only be one person.

"Why would a witch go to such lengths to keep a man alive and off the grid for four months?" Enzo questioned as we walked closer.

"Well, Tom went missing four months ago," I started. "And Silas, the original doppelgänger, died four months ago."

I finally made my way to beside Tom, and my heart stopped.

Okay, I had only seen Silas _once_ the entire time that he had been alive and pretending to be Stefan, and Stefan was still alive too, and I knew that they were doppelgängers, but the resemblance was _freaky_.

"He's a dead ringer, all right," Enzo agreed. "Or rather, soon to be dead."

I decided to ignore Enzo's comment as I got down on my knees next to Tom. "Tom?" I tried, waving my hand in front of his face. His eyes were open, but there was no response. "Tom? Tom Avery?"

"Juliet, let me do this," Enzo insisted. "Just walk away, go upstairs..."

"No!" I cut him off. "_I_ made this deal, _I'm_ keeping up my side. We're here because this is on me."

"Or maybe you just can't stand the thought of putting Stefan's life into anyone's hands but your own," Enzo suggested.

I felt my face burn as I turned away from Enzo. No. No, I _refuse_ to feel embarrassed. Even if Stefan _wasn't_ my boyfriend, I'd _still_ do this for him.

Just, _how_ would I go about it?

There was a knife sitting on the ground next to Tom, so I picked it up. I took a deep breath, trying to stop my hands from shaking as I held the knife up above Tom's chest.

Was I _really_ going to do this?

I didn't have a chance to do anything, because Tom Avery's eyes flew open and he shot up. I gasped as I brought the knife behind my back. No need to scare the poor guy.

Tom breathed heavily as he ripped the tubes out of his nose. "What's happening? Who are you people?"

"We're angels, mate," Enzo joked. "Come to deliver you to the sweet thereafter."

I rolled my eyes at Enzo as I bent in front of Tom. Time to put my new spell to the test.

After I found out that Katherine had compelled me, I was pissed. Partly because I forgot I loved Stefan, but mostly because vampires had an advantage that I didn't.

So I went through Tessa's spell book again, and found a spell that is kind of like mind control. And, well, I tweaked it a little.

I moved my hands from Tom's shoulders to his face. "_Fac, ut locutus, quod ego dico. Nulla optio_," I incantated, and Tom's pupils dilated, showing me that the spell had worked. Basically, what I said was that he had to do everything that I said, and that he had no choice. "You need to calm down. Don't make a sound. You can trust me."

"What the hell are you doing?" Enzo demanded.

"It's a little trick that I learned," I told him, never taking my eyes off of Tom.

"Whatever the trick it, it's only going to make it harder," Enzo pointed out.

"Stay out of this, Enzo," I said. "If I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this my way." I cleared my throat. "_Fac, ut locutus, quod ego dico. Nulla optio_," I said again, and this time, I said, "I'm one of your closest friends. You mean everything to me. Do you trust me?"

"Of course," He breathed.

"Good." I grabbed the knife, and positioned it to his throat. "I promise you won't feel anything."

And he wouldn't.

I whirled around on my heel so that I was facing Enzo. I dropped the knife in my hand. "Sorry about this, _mate_," I said, and before he could ask what I was doing, I positioned my hand so that my magic was holding Enzo's throat. He started choking, and with my other hand, I made a swift snapping gesture, and Enzo's neck snapped.

As he fell to the ground, I dashed over to the shelves to try and find a key. I eventually found one, and I dashed back to Tom's side.

"What's going on?" He asked as I unlocked his restraints.

"What's going on is," I pulled the restraint off. "I can't kill you. So I'm gonna get you out of here, instead."

* * *

After getting Tom away from Enzo, I took him back to the diner that Enzo and I had been at before. After being stuck in a basement for four months, I figured the guy would be hungry.

So I stole Enzo's wallet before we had come, and I told Tom that whatever he wanted, was on me.

Whatever he wanted turned out to be waffles, and when they came, he practically devoured them. I couldn't help but smile. I mean, you should see him go!

When I was holding the knife above Tom's chest, I had no idea how _hard_ it would be to take an innocent life. Especially the life that has the face of your boyfriend.

"Hazel seemed nice," Tom said between bites. "So I figured, 'why not have dinner?'. So I showered, picked her up, and that was it, that was the last thing that I remember for four months."

"Kidnapping and locking a boy up is not the approach that I would take if I wanted to impress him," I giggled. "She was hiding you from people who knew magic."

"Like you said, she was a real witch," Tom joked, and I let myself laugh.

Was I really going to kill such a funny guy? And he was nice, and sweet, and he had a nice smile, he was a paramedic, but most of all...

He was innocent.

"I don't know why I'm telling you my whole life story..." Tom said, very confused.

"Well, vampires have this thing called compulsion, so you have to do whatever they say," I informed him. "I did something similar to it. And I also told you to keep calm, not worry about anything."

"Wait, _vampires_ exist?" Tom asked, putting his fork down.

I shrugged. "You've been locked in a basement for four months by a witch," I reminded him, bringing my coffee cup up to my lips. "Is vampires really that far of a stretch?"

Tom simply nodded before he turned back to his food. "Why do you want to know so much about me?"

"I'm just making sure that I'm making the right decision," I told him. If Tom was a bad guy, I wouldn't have had as much of a problem in killing him. But that's the thing-Tom _wasn't_ a bad guy. He was definitely one of the good ones. "That you're a good guy and that you're not crazy. You know, the whole 'no skeletons in the closet' thing."

"And?" He pressed, wanting to know my judgement.

"And you are the second nicest person I've ever met," I told him. "The first one is my boyfriend."

"Well, likewise, because I do remember you saving my life. So, if there's anything I can do to repay you, let me know," He smiled, and I internally crumbled. He had Stefan's smile.

Well, of course he had Stefan's smile, they're doppelgängers.

Then I started to think about actually killing him, like I was supposed to. But I quickly shook the thought away. I couldn't do it. And not just because he looked like Stefan.

Because Tom Avery was a nice person that didn't deserve to die.

"Are you okay?" The sound of Tom's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," I fibbed, clasping my hands together. "It's just...the thing that I need from you isn't something that I can-or want to-take."

"I don't understand," Tom told me as he cut into his waffle.

"That's okay, you don't have to," I said softly. "You just...you remind me of my boyfriend."

"Well, he's one hell of a lucky guy to have someone like you," Tom complimented, and I let myself laugh despite the serious trouble I was going to be in when I got back to the Travelers.

Which prompted me to do what I did next.

I leaned forward. "_Fac, ut locutus, quod ego dico. Nulla optio_," I commanded, and when I had Tom's full attention, I said, "When you're done eating, you're going to get on to a train, ride to a place that you like that is very far from here, meet a pretty girl, someone who is going to love you as much as she possibly can, someone who is going to make you happy because you deserve it. And you are going to settle down and be happy for the rest of your life."

I finished my version of compulsion, and Tom just smiled as he went back to eating. He gestured to the plate. "Do you want some?"

I huffed, before I grinned at him. "Why not?" I picked up a fork, and took a piece of his waffle. I thought carefully as I chewed.

I was doing the right thing.

* * *

"I don't think I've eaten so much in my _life_," Tom informed me as we walked towards Enzo's car (that I also stole) so that I could get him out of here.

"Yeah, I don't think anyone has," I laughed. "And this is _me_ talking, here."

"Then I suppose it was a fitting last supper," Enzo's voice suddenly said.

My heart stopped as my eyes widened. I spun around on my heel to see Enzo snapping Tom's neck. My cry of "No!" was too late.

Tom dropped to the ground, and I scrambled down next to him. "Tom?" I breathed, gently grabbing the sides of his head. I tilted his head to the side, and it was clear. His neck was broken.

Desperately, I checked for a pulse. There was nothing.

Tom Avery was dead.

I glared up at Enzo, fighting through my tears. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"Because you aren't the only one that cut a deal to save someone's life, Tinkerbell," Enzo sneered. "That old flame I mentioned, Maggie, the Travelers claim they know where to find her."

"If Maggie is anything like me, like you claim she is," I sniffled. "Then you just lost all her respect."

Enzo shrugged. "No. I'll earn her forgiveness in time. Because unlike you, Juliet, I'm willing to do whatever it takes for the people that I love."

The wind brushed a little harder against the two of us as I shook my head in denial.

"The Travelers moved to some junk yard outside of Mystic Falls," Enzo informed me. "Feel free to tell Stefan that you're the one who saved him."

And with that, Enzo walked away from me. Hopefully, I'll never see him again.

Because if I do, I _will_ kill him.

* * *

I took a few buses back to Mystic Falls, and when I managed to find the junk yard that Enzo was talking about, I tried to find Stefan. I couldn't find him, and I was about to gather the courage to ask one of the Travelers (that is, if they were even willing to talk to me) when Ivan walked up to me, a large book in his hands.

"Ivan," I sputtered. Why could I not speak around him? Oh yeah, because it's awkward as hell.

"Hey," He said, and he held out the big. "Happy Birthday."

"What?" I asked as I took the book in my hands. Across the cover was my last name, Christos. "My birthday-_our_ birthday, I guess, was last month."

"I know," He informed me. "I just felt bad for not getting you anything, and the fact that you've been struggling with the whole Traveler thing when I've known my whole life." He pointed at the book. "That's the Christos family book. It's got our family history and some spells and stuff. I've had it to myself for the past twenty years, so I thought you might want a turn."

"Wow, thanks, Ivan," I told him, pressing the book to my chest. "This was really nice of you."

"You're welcome," He said, and before I knew it, I was in another hug. "And I'm sorry, Eumelia. I'm really, really, sorry."

"You might have said that a few times before," I choked, pulling away. "Hey, do you know where Stefan is?"

Ivan nodded, pointing to one of the abandoned vans behind him. "He's in the van over there."

"Thanks," I said. "See you later?" Even though it was still really awkward, I was excited about having a brother. Maybe he knew some stuff about our family.

All Ivan said was, "Goodbye, Eumelia," Before he walked off, leaving me by myself.

"Okay," I drawled, and I started walking over to where Stefan was. When I got there, I knocked on the door. "Stefan?" I asked, peeking my head in. I was relieved when I saw him lying down in the back.

"Hey," He smiled, moving over to make room for me.

I climbed in, putting the book beside me as I laid down, my head hitting the soft pillow.

"Are you..." Stefan started.

"Okay?" I finished, and he nodded. I shook my head. "Nope. Not at all."

He sat up, and turned on his side. "Do you want to talk about it?"

At first, I was just going to shake my head. However, I found myself saying, "Enzo was right. And, _I _was right, in a way." I turned my head to the side so that I was looking at Stefan. "I couldn't kill him. I couldn't even do it to save you. But I'm not a murderer, Stefan."

"You do realize you're feeling guilty for not being able to kill someone," Stefan stated as he laid back down.

"No, I feel guilty because we're still stuck in this mess," I groaned, covering my face.

"They were never going to let us out," Stefan said. "We're too important to them."

"Well, _you_ are even more vital to them now," I informed him. "Enzo killed Tom."

"Yet another reason to hate Enzo, I guess," Stefan said.

"I should have known," I grumbled. "Enzo wouldn't volunteer to help unless he had an ulterior motive. I mean, he's _Damon's_ friend. And the whole flirting thing to distract me was low, even for Enzo. I even let him put his jacket on me!"

And that's when I realized I was _still _wearing it. I pulled it off of me as fast as I could, and flung it away from me as far as I could manage. "Remind me to disinfect my entire body when I get the chance."

I huffed. "What's the plan now?"

I turned my head to look at Stefan, and he did the same to me. "We go to sleep."

I laughed, part in disbelief and part in confusion. "That's productive. And heroic."

"Yeah, well, the productive and heroic part of my brain needs to recharge after, you know, being tortured all day while you were out flirting with another guy," Stefan accused, but in humour.

I laughed as I nudged him. "Ha, ha, very funny. I would rather have been flirting with you."

I rolled over on to my side fully so that I was even closer to Stefan. "Anything else to add to your master plan?"

"Well, we gather our strength, and wait for an opportunity to get the hell out of here," Stefan suggested, and he reached over and took my hand, gently rubbing circles along the back of it. "_Together_."

"Seems like a good plan to me," I agreed. "Oh, and by the way, I _wasn't_ flirting back."

"Then why did you accept his jacket?"

"Because I was cold!" I defended. "I had nothing but a sweater. And now I have Enzo germs. Are you happy?"

"Yes."

I smiled as I rolled my eyes. I closed them, preparing myself for sleep, when it finally hit me. I opened my eyes. "Hang on a second."

"What?" Stefan asked.

"You're _you_, Stefan," I started. "You never would have let me go with Enzo. You knew the entire time, didn't you?"

"Knew what?" He asked.

"That I couldn't do it," I filled in.

"Well, it wasn't so much that you _couldn't_ do it," Stefan explained. "It was that you _wouldn't_ do it."

"How did you know?" I asked, snuggling a bit closer to him.

"Because you're Juliet Gilbert," Stefan said with a smile. "I know who you are, and that person isn't you."

I returned the smile as I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. He gently kissed me back, and when I pulled back, Stefan undid the zipper on his coat so that I could snuggle right next to his body. He zipped it back up, and it somehow managed to work. I started feeling a whole lot better as I leaned my head on his soft chest.

As long as I was with Stefan, everything would be okay.

* * *

A bit later, the sound of chanting woke the two of us up.

I lifted my head off of Stefan's chest, and he unzipped his coat so that I could get out of it. "What the hell is going on?" I asked.

I stepped out of the van, and Stefan went in front of me as we walked closer to where the chanting was coming from. He took my hand in his, firmly bringing me closer to his side.

We leaned down beside a bunch of cars that helped conceal where we were. I peered closer, and the Travelers kept chanting something, and the one distinct thing that I heard was, "Markos."

One of the Travelers was pouring some sort of liquid into a cup, and the rest of the Travelers-including Ivan-was drinking whatever it was.

"Those buckets...They're drinking my blood," Stefan clarified. "And Elena's, and yours."

"What the hell are they doing?" I whispered.

Sloan grabbed a torch and lit it on fire using the flames from the trashcan fire that they had started before. Without warning, she pushed the torch on to the body of one of the Travelers, and _lit him on fire_.

Almost instantly, the bodies of the rest of the Travelers that had consumed the blood lit on fire as well. And that included Ivan.

Tears built up in my eyes as I heard Ivan's desperate screams as he dropped to the ground. I reached for Stefan as he wrapped his arm around me. "That's my brother, Stefan," I sobbed, tears falling. I didn't know who he was all that well, but he was my blood. He was the only relative that I had.

And he was dead.

"That's my brother," I choked. Stefan picked me up, and I clutched at his neck. Before he ran off, I managed to grab the book that Ivan had given me. Holding me to his chest, he sped off.

We had gotten pretty far when the pain started.

At first it had started in the back of my head, but it eventually progressed into the rest of my body. I tried concealing my screams so that Stefan wouldn't notice, but it eventually got so bad that I couldn't take it anymore.

"Jules?" Stefan asked worriedly, stopping as he lowered me to the ground. "Julie? Juliet!"

I just groaned in pain as my entire body started tingling, but then it felt like it was on fire. A warm, sticky liquid fell on my upper lip, and I wiped it off to reveal that it was blood.

My entire body felt like it was being overwhelmed. The winds around Stefan and I started to blow abnormally hard, and my knees buckled, sending me to the ground.

The same wet, sticky feeling came back, but this time, the liquid was coming out of my _eyes_. I'm pretty sure that blood coming out of your eyes was unhealthy.

Eventually, my body couldn't take it anymore, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

The last thing that I heard was Stefan's desperate screams of my name before it all went black.

* * *

**TBC...**

**OH, SHIT!**

**What'll happen next?**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	18. Resident Evil

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **SORRY FOR THE HIATUS! I just got so busy with Fan Expo stuff. And, I MET IAN SOMERHALDER!

YUP, I MET DAMON HIMSELF. I ALSO GOT HIS AUTOGRAPH (WHICH HE KISSED) AND A PICTURE WITH HIM! HE'S SO NICE AND CUTE AND UGH BEST DAY EVER.

Also he winked at me as I was walking away from his autograph table and literally if it weren't for my cousin being there to grab my arm I _WOULD_ have fallen to the ground

Anyhoo!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_ "As you can see, Em, you're not missing anything," I spoke into the camera before I turned it around to flim the streets of Mystic Falls again. My best friend, Emily Johnson, was diagnosed with cancer a couple years ago, and every couple of months, she makes me go around the town and make videos about what's going on because she can't leave the hospital room._

_ But the thing about Mystic Falls, is that _nothing _exciting ever happens here. I moved here with my family consisting of my mom, my dad, and my twin brother Ivan when I was two, and in the seventeen years that I've lived in Mystic Falls, nothing's happened. _

_ "And still no cute boys," I mumbled to the camera._

_ People see me walking by with my camera and wave hi to Emily, because they all know who Em is. She's Mayor Lockwood's niece. And they all know who I am, because I always come around with a camera for Em._

_ I film for a bit more, and as I walk along a forest trail, I notice that the sun is setting, ending another super boring day in Mystic Falls._

_ The sun setting is pretty nice, though. Sometimes when I go for walks, the way the end of the day sunlight hits the trees, it's just mesmerizing. And that's what it looks like now._

_ I really wish I could paint, but I've never been good at art. I've always wanted to paint a sunset. Especially one this beautiful._

_ Hang on! Emily loves to paint! Maybe if I recorded some of the sunset, she'll paint it!_

_ "Hold on to your hat, Emmy," I said as I ran towards the forest so that I can climb up a tree. I stuck the camera in my pocket so that I could climb the tree using both hands. I get up as high as I dare, before latching onto a branch using my left arm, and using my right hand, I took out the camera and began recording the sunset. "This one's for you, Em."_

_ I placed my feet kind of awkward on a low branch when I climbed up the tree, and I guess the branch was really weak, because I felt it beginning to crack under my weight._

_ I scrambled as fast as I could to get myself out of the tree, but it snapped before I had the chance, and I went crashing to the ground._

_ My short scream died when I landed. Not on the ground, though. I landed on a person._

_ I landed right on top of them, and I took a second to catch my breath before I fully registered the face that had kindly broken my fall._

_ It was a guy, with messy bronze hair and the most amazing green eyes that I have ever seen in my life. He was covered in sweat, and headphones were sprawled against the ground, where they must have ripped out of his ears when I landed on him. All in all, he was super cute. Despite the sweat._

_ "Oh my God, I am so sorry!" I apologized._

_ The guy winced, trying to catch his breath. "Is this a habit of yours? Falling off of stuff?" He glanced down at my body against his own, gently clearing his throat._

_ I quickly scrambled off of him, and he sat up. "Well," I said as I stood up. "Not really, but when I do, someone usually catches me," I extended a hand to help him up, and looked at my hand, then to me, then back to my hand as he grabbed it and I pulled him up. "Like you just did."_

_ "Well, I'd argue that you fell on me," The guy said. "But then again, I'm just the guy that cushioned your fall."_

_ "Right," I said. That's when it hit me that I didn't even know the guy's name. "So, you've basically become my knight in shining armour and I don't even know your name."_

_ "Well, you've become my damsel in distress, and I don't know _your _name," He said with a grin. "I'm Stefan."_

_ "I'm Eumelia," I said._

_ "What?" Stefan asked. "Eu-Eumilla?"_

_ "You know what?" I started. "Just call me Mia. Everyone does."_

_ "Mia," Stefan repeated. "I like that."_

_ "Thanks," I smiled, and put my hands behind my back. _

_ Stefan looked back up at the tree. "Why were you up there, anyways?"_

_ "Oh," I sputtered, looking up at the tree. "I was filming the sunset for my best friend, Emily. She's in the hospital. Every few months or so she makes me record the outside of Mystic Falls because she wants to know what's going on out here but to be honest there isn't really much. This is Mystic Falls...nothing ever happens here." I pause at the look on Stefan's face. "And I'm talking really fast, aren't I?"_

_ He nodded. "Just a little bit."_

_ "Right," I said, and took a deep breath before I said, "So are you new here? I haven't seen you before."_

_ "Yeah, I just moved here," He replied. His eyes travelled to the ground. "Is that your camera?"_

_ "What?" I asked, before following his gaze and finding my camera on the ground, somehow not broken from the fall. I leaned over and picked it up, closing the small screen part of the camera shut. "Thanks." I felt my phone buzz, and I took it out of my pocket to see that I had a text from Em, saying that I should have met her at the hospital ten minutes ago._

_ "That's Emily," I told Stefan. "I should go."_

_ "Okay," He said with a nod. "I hope to see you again soon, Mia."_

_ "Yeah, me too, Stefan." I smiled, before waving at him, and when I turned around to leave, I saw him sticking his headphones back in his ears before starting his jog again._

_ Hmm. Stefan. Not a bad name._

* * *

I awoke with a start, literally throwing myself forward as I took a deep breath in. As I did, a vase that was in our dorm room literally exploded into tiny glass shards, the water going everywhere.

"Juliet!" Caroline complained from her dressing table. "That's the third vase that you've broken in the past two days!"

"I'm _sorry_," I told her as I processed my dream.

That wasn't a memory, I _know_ it wasn't. I was going by Eumelia Christos, not Juliet Gilbert. Stefan looked like he had no idea who I was, and I distinctly remember gaining the memory of how Stefan and I met back already. So what was going on?

Caroline grumbled as she picked up the shards. "I really hope that you can find that stupid book so you can figure out how to control yourself."

I did feel bad for Caroline, I really did, but did she know how hard it was for _me_? To have random outbursts of magic? Yesterday, I nearly swerved some guy's car into a tree.

And the book that Ivan gave me? It disappeared. _Literally_. After I passed out in Stefan's arms the night before yesterday, I had the book with me, and when I woke up in my dorm the next day, it was gone.

Right now, all I knew was that since Ivan's death, I had gotten more powerful. And therefore, more uncontrolable.

I threw my blankets off of myself so I could take a shower. I willed myself to calm down using the water, and I felt a little bit better, but not much. I felt more in control.

I got dressed, and Caroline, Elena, and I drove to Mystic Falls because we were meeting Sheriff Forbes for coffee. Elena looked a little out of it, too, now that I thought about it.

Caroline scanned the crowd of the Mystic Grill with a huff. "Well, I guess my mom's not here yet. I'm gonna get us some coffees," Caroline said, and she walked off to order our drinks.

I looked over to Elena, who _still_ looked a little frazzled. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Am _I_ okay?" She repeated. "I should be asking _you_ that. You just found out that you had a twin brother that's been walking around for the past twenty years, and then he dies. And _now_ you're having random outbursts of magic." Elena took my hands in hers. "How are _you_ doing?"

I took in a shaky breath. "I'm doing better, I guess," I shrugged. "I only knew Ivan for a day. Not even that, I interacted with him a total of three times."

"But he was _still_ your brother," Elena insisted. "It still must be hard."

I nodded slightly, and my eyes scanned the crowd. They locked with a rose that was in a vase in the center of a table, and I felt myself starting to get pulled away.

* * *

_ I walked back towards my house, Stefan by my side. He reached down into the small garden my Mom had in our front yard, and picked a rose. He turned to me, and offered the flower. "A rose, for the lady."_

_ I laughed. "Wow, it looks like I have a real Romeo on my hands," I commented as I took the rose. "You picked me up, opened my car door, you held out my chair while I sat down, and now you are giving me a rose while escorting me back to my door safely," I said, delicately sniffing the rose. "And they say chivalry is dead."_

_ "Listen, I wouldn't mind being your Romeo, as long as we don't end up dead," He joked, and I laughed._

_ "Thanks for agreeing to come to dinner. I really do feel bad for falling on you earlier," I told him._

_ Stefan waved it off. "It's cool, really. At least I can tell my friends that I had a girl who _literally_ fell for me."_

_ I laughed, partly because it was funny, and partly because I felt a little nervous. "Please, don't tell your friends. It's embarrassing."_

_ "What do you have to be embarrassed for?" Stefan asked as we walked up the steps to my front porch._

_ "It's not every day a girl falls on top of a cute guy," I said, accidentally blurting out the 'cute guy' part, because that's what I had called Stefan when I spoke on the phone with Emily before the date. _

_ Stefan smirked. "You think I'm cute?"_

_ Damn it! "Is that a bad thing?" I asked, nervousness creeping in my voice._

_ Stefan made a face that looked like he was considering it, and then he stepped really close to me. So close, in fact, that our noses were nearly touching. _

_ "It's not bad at all," He told me. "Because I think you're cute, too."_

_ Slowly, painsakingly slowly, Stefan leaned over, and gently pressed his lips against mine. I returned his kiss, trying not to smile too eagerly._

_ Unfortunately, our kiss was cut short by the porch lights turning on. We broke apart, obviously getting the message._

_ I cleared my throat. "That's probably my Dad. Or my brother, they're both such freaks."_

_ Stefan smiled. "You want to see a freak? Meet _my _brother."_

_ We both laughed, and by the deliberate flickering of the porch light, I assumed that whoever was waiting up for me wanted me to wrap it up._

_ "So, do you wanna catch a movie or something?" Stefan asked._

_ "Hmmm, my pick, or your pick?" I inquired._

_ "I think it should be my pick, considering you could have broken my spine," He joked, and I playfully slapped his chest in protest._

_ "Hey!" I defended myself, but the two of us were laughing too hard to notice. Once we both calmed down, I said, "A movie would be great. I'm really looking forward to it."_

_ "So am I," He said, and he leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Goodnight, Mia."_

_ "Goodnight, Stefan."_

* * *

I'm brought of whatever the _hell_ that was, and as I snapped back to attention, the coffee jug behind the counter combusted, glass going everywhere. I internally groaned as the employees looked around each other, confused as to what could have broken the jug.

"Juliet!" Caroline said. "What the hell is going with you?"

I looked all around me, and saw that I wasn't standing with Elena at the front anymore. I was sitting down at a table with Elena and Caroline. "How am I sitting here?" I asked them. I turned to Elena. "We were just standing over there, weren't we?"

She nodded. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Caroline shook her head in confusion. "What the hell is going _on_ here?" She turned to Elena. "Wait, did you just have one of those dreams? Like, right here?"

Wait, _dream_?

"It didn't _feel_ like a dream," Elena said. "It felt like it was real, like I was _just _there."

Caroline had to swallow her words as she brought her cup up to her mouth. "Yeah, that's weird."

I tapped my fingers on my own cup, trying to decipher whatever the hell that dream was. It felt exactly how Elena had described it, like I was actually there, and not sitting in the diner.

"Caroline, if you bite your tongue any harder, you'll bleed," Elena said to our blonde best friend. "Say it."

Caroline put her cup down with a sigh. "It's Psych 101," She started. "Actually, it's whatever comes _before_ 101\. You told Damon that you couldn't see him anymore, and now you're having dreams about Stefan?"

Elena gave Caroline a look as she leaned back in her seat. "It's not _just_ about Stefan," She argued. "My parents were still alive. It was like a different life."

It felt _exactly _like that.

But Stefan and I were still together, and I wasn't dreaming of Damon. What was going on?

Before anyone could say anything, Caroline's phone rang. She gave Elena a slightly panicky look as she answered. "Stefan, hey. Is everything okay?"

I was close enough to Caroline to hear Stefan's end. "_You know how when you feel crazy you call me and I tell you that you're not crazy_?"

"Even though most of the time I _am_," Caroline nodded.

"_Well, I need you to tell me that I'm not crazy_," Stefan said.

"Uh, no promises," Caroline chuckled.

"_I was walking to my car, and I nearly got plowed over in the street because I was having some vision about Elena_," Stefan explained, and my stomach dropped.

Stefan's dreaming about _Elena_, too? Does that mean that Stefan's dreaming about _me_?

"I take that back," Caroline corrected herself as she looked at Elena and me. "Actually, you're not crazy at all. Something's going on."

* * *

"He's not answering my calls," Elena said with an eye roll as she tried calling Damon again.

"I'll try," I offered, pulling out my own phone. "Maybe he'll answer."

I clicked Damon's name on my contact list, and I waited for him to answer. Luckily for me, the phone picked up. Unluckily for me, it was not Damon on the phone.

"Hello, Doll Face," Enzo drawled.

I gritted my teeth, trying to control my flaring anger. "Enzo. Long time, not enough no see," I grumbled. "I should have figured you were going to stick around."

"So you were thinking about me?" He asked, the smirk clear in his voice.

I growled. "Just give Damon his Goddamn phone. Tell him, that something is up with Stefan and Elena."

I passed the phone to Caroline, who took it from me. "Remember how we all laughed off the notion that the Universe was drawing Stefan and Elena together?" Caroline said into the phone.

"_Yeah_," Damon said.

"Well, that's happening," She dropped.

"_What's happening?_" Damon asked.

"Now that Stefan's doppel-him-" Caroline started.

I cut her off. "His name was Tom," I deadpanned. I still felt horribly guilty that I couldn't save Tom Avery.

"Tom, yes," Caroline agreed. "Now that Tom is dead, Stefan and Elena are the last pair of doppelgangers. Which might explain why Stefan and Elena are suddenly having vision-type situations about each other."

It didn't explain why only _I_ was having a vision of Stefan and me.

Here we go with the Universe again.

"_What kind of 'visions'_?" Damon asked.

"_You know why she's not telling you," _I heard Enzo in the background. "_Somebody is having sex dreams."_

"They're not sex dreams!" Elena quietly hissed so that no one else in the Grill could hear her.

"Yeah, they're more like romance dreams," Caroline offered.

I felt my own jealousy flare up, though I tried my hardest to control it. It wasn't so much for the sake of seeming normal around my friends, but more because of the fact that whenever I seemed to get angry or jealous or upset, bad things happened. The worst thing that's happened was the car swerving because I got angry that the person in the car had cut me off, but I wasn't trying to do it on purpose, I swear!

"_I don't need to know that_!" Damon exclaimed, and I agreed with him. "_Where's Stefan?_"

"He went to the Traveler camp to see if anyone is still there that can tell him what's going on," Caroline explained.

"_Yeah, good luck with that_," Enzo said.

"Well, it's our only lead," Caroline argued. "Look, all we know is that Tom is dead, the Travelers just committed a mass suicide, and Stefan and Elena, who are clearly not together anymore, are having intense visions of each other."

Damon huffed. "Find a witch, get her over here. Let's figure out what the hell is going on here."

* * *

_"Look! Look!" Stefan said excitedly, pointing up at the sky._

_ I followed his gaze. "What the hell am I looking at?"_

_ Stefan wanted to take me out tonight, but he wouldn't say where. So imagine my surprise when he picked me up in his truck with a picnic baskett, and he drove us to the park, where he proceeded to lay a picnic blanket on the ground for us to have dinner._

_ It was really good, much to my surprise. Last time Stefan cooked for me, it didn't end very well. But then he told me that his brother, Damon, made it, because Damon could tell how nervous he was about this date. Wasn't that the cutest thing ever? _

_ "Come on, Mia, _look_," He stressed, pointing at the sky again._

_ I knew I was looking at stars, but that was all it was. Stars._

_ "Stefan if you are trying to get me to find some 'deeper meaning' thing in the stars, I am clearly _not _getting it," I huffed._

_ Stefan grabbed my shoulders as he lifted me up. He sat behind me, and I put my head on his chest as he positioned it to look where he was pointing. "Look," He said again, and I finally saw it._

_ The previously scattered looking stars seemed to make a picture. _

_ "That's the constellation Orion," Stefan explained, squeezing my arm. "You can see it all around the world. It's my favourite."_

_ "It's really pretty," I agreed. I enjoyed looking at the stars with Stefan. I enjoyed doing _anything_ with Stefan._

_ Just then, a shootng star made its way through the sky. "Stefan! Look! A shooting star!" I said eagerly, clapping my hands. "Make a wish!"_

_ "I don't need to," Stefan said, and I looked back up at him, his gorgeous green eyes so close to my face. He pushed my bangs back as he cupped my face. "I already have everything that I want."_

_ I smiled warmly as Stefan leaned down and kissed me. As I kissed him back, I thought of my wish._

_ Hey, just because Stefan didn't have a wish didn't mean that I didn't._

_ I wished that I could be with Stefan. Always._

_ Stefan pulled back from the kiss, and we both looked back up and admired the stars. Stefan leaned down, and I felt his breath tickle my ear as he whispered, "I love you."_

_ My heart nearly stopped in my chest as I looked back up at him. "What did you just say?" I asked, trying to conceal my shakes._

_ "I lied, I _did _make a wish," Stefan revealed. "I wished that I had the courage to tell you that I loved you. And my wish came true."_

_ I turned around so that I was facing him fully. "I love you too," I said to him, and we both met halfway for a kiss, under the stars._

* * *

I jolted back to reality as Caroline knocked on the front door of the Salvatore house. Because when I zoned back in I was so focused on Caroline's knock, I unknowingly unlocked the door from the outside, and it swung open, nearly hitting Enzo in the face.

"Whoa," Enzo said, swerving away from the door. He pointed at the now open door. "What the hell was that?"

"Juliet's going through a crisis," Caroline explained as we all walked in.

"It's _not_ a crisis," I defended as I shrugged off my coat. I threw it in Enzo's face as I walked in. "It's just a temporary uncontrollable phase I'm going through."

"Clearly," Enzo muttered, but I heard it.

I pointed a finger at him. "Watch it, _mate_. I'm still not over what you did."

"How many times must I apologize for kidnapping you?" He asked.

I gave him a look that basically said, "_You're not cute_."

"Anyways," Enzo said, clearly changing the subject. "I thought you were bringing a witch."

"We said we'd call her, not that we'd pick her up," Caroline said to him.

I felt numb to everything. The dreams are getting even more real, and even more close. It seems with each dream, Stefan and I were getting closer. First dream, we had just met. Second dream, fast forward to our first date. Third dream, fast forward to us being well into a relationship. I just wanted to know what was happening to me _without_ having to tell anyone and making a big fuss over it.

"So. Where's, uh-" Elena began. "Where's Damon?"

Damon walked into the room, and everything fell silent. Suddenly, the room felt too tight, too uncomfortable.

"Hi," He said delicately.

"Hi," Elena said back, unbuttoning the top of her jacket.

We all stood awkwardly until Enzo spoke up, "So, who could use a drink from the bar?"

For once, I'm _glad_ Enzo opened his mouth. "Don't mind if I do," I said at the same time Caroline lifted a hand and said, "Yes please!"

So the three of us dashed to the library, where Enzo poured us three drinks. I know, I swore off alcohol after what happened with Wes, but my sister and my boyfriend were having romance dreams about each other, cut me a little slack.

Stupid, unfair vampires that Enzo and Caroline were, they got to hear everything that Damon and Elena were talking about.

"Ouch," Enzo hissed. "She used the 'F' word. Poor bastard."

"But, I thought that's what this _was_," Caroline said, perplexed.

"Oh, it is," Enzo agreed. "It was never explicitly stated until now."

"And that matters, because...?" I trailed off.

"Well, because, until it's officially _out there_, there's still hope," He further explained. "And hope-" He took a second to laugh in disbelief. "Hope can trick you into all sorts of hilariously, unrealistic scenarios."

"You mean your Augustine girl?" I asked, kind of interested. "Maggie, was her name?"

Enzo didn't answer me. "What even happened? You killed Tom Avery to find her."

"Well, the Travelers were supposed to tell me where Maggie was," Enzo explained. "Before they lit themselves on fire. Talk about a lead going up in smoke."

My heart slightly clenched at the thought of Ivan's death, and the liquid in my cup jumped up ever so slightly. "What did you expect? Travelers are ruthless, manipulative, hypocrites," I told him, remembering Katherine's words.

Enzo shrugged, looking at me with a hint of a smile on his lips. "Well, not all of them."

I smiled at Enzo's words, and Caroline spoke up. "No offense," She started. "But, if Maggie _was_ alive, wouldn't she be, like, _really_ old?"

Enzo slightly smiled. "Seventy years of captivity and she was the face that I had clung on to. Just the notion that I'd get out, and see her again. I don't want to date her, Caroline. I want to thank her."

* * *

"What do you mean, you can't stop their visions?" Damon asked.

Luke Parker, Liv's twin brother, was sent in her place because apparently, Liv was busy. We were okay with it at first, because this meant that he possessed magic too, but then he opened his mouth.

"Our magic doesn't work like that," Luke protested. "We're not _bigger_ than the Universe."

"Then why are you in my house?" Damon asked as he walked over to him.

"Because we need your help," Luke revealed. "We think the Travelers are about to make their move," He explained, looking directly at me. "Their leader, Juliet's leader, technically, Markos, is here."

"From where?" Damon questioned. "Chant camp?"

"The Other side," Luke answered.

"Hang on," I said, putting my hands up. "You mean, the _Other Side?_ As in, the supernatural purgatory that I _thought _we were done with after Silas, Qetsiyah, and Amara died?"

Luke nodded. "Markos has been dead for centuries, and we think the fire sacrifice allowed him to escape."

Ivan had a hand in bringing Markos back? Why did I feel so judgy?

"Perfect," Elena muttered. "A dead, old guy with a mysterious evil plan. I'll take that drink now," She said, pushing herself off of the couch to get herself a drink.

"At least he's not your 'leader'," I said, using air quotes.

"Stefan just called," Caroline announced as she walked into the room. "He said the scrap yard has been completely cleared out."

"So let me guess," Damon said. "The witches don't know where Markos is."

"You guys said that the visions are trying to draw Elena and Stefan together for something, right?" Luke asked.

"For our doppelganger blood," Elena choked, swallowing her alcohol. "The Travelers need it for some prophecy."

"And if the Travelers are the ones that _need_ your blood, doesn't it make sense that you're not only being drawn to together, but also..." Luke trailed off.

"Being drawn to _them_," Elena finished, getting the idea.

"Well, this just keeps getting _better_ and _better_," Damon said sarcastically, sipping from his own drink.

"Wait, wait," Caroline interrupted. "I don't get it."

"If the visions are a road map," Enzo started, half answering Caroline's question. "Then we need more clues." Enzo turned his head to me. "Break out the popcorn, Tinkerbell. Elena's little sex romp isn't over yet."

* * *

Just before Luke left, I grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him aside.

"I'm having dreams too," I told him in hushed tones. "They don't have anything to do with Elena. It's just me and Stefan. Does it mean anything?"

Luke shook his head. "It's the first I've heard anything about. My guess is, the Travelers are behind it, too. They need your blood as well."

"Yeah, what is _up_ with that?" I asked. "Why the hell is my blood so important?"

"You're a Christos Traveler," Luke said plainly.

"Yeah, but what does that _mean_?" I asked, getting a little more frustrated. The wind blew harder as I did, but I fought to control it.

Luke looked around him. "Did you just do that?"

I nodded. "I've been like this ever since the mass suicide. My magic is so much more powerful, and that much more out of control. And since the Christos Travelers are the most powerful Travelers after Silas and Qetsiyah, I assumed that _something_ would be in the Christos Family Traveler book. And guess what? It was gone when I woke up the next morning. Did you witches do anything with it?"

He shook his head. "Not that I know of. And maybe if you catch Markos, you can ask him. Now, if you'll excuse me." He turned around, and left.

I growled in frustration, kicking at the wall. Unfortunately, I focused on the mirror that was in the hallway, and it shattered, my magic breaking it.

I quickly ran away before anyone could figure out that I did it.

* * *

_ "Happy birthday, Emily!" Stefan and I shouted as we walked into her hospital room. _

_ Emily smiled as she put her book down. "Hey, guys! Did you bring the camera?"_

_ I held it up. "All the footage is right here."_

_ She clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay! Bring it over, I'll hook it up to my computer."_

_ "But first," I interrupted, holding up numerous gift bags. "These are for you, from all of our friends that couldn't get out of college."_

_ "And I brought cake!" Stefan said excitedly, holding up the box. _

_ Emily laughed. "Thank you, Stefan. Thank you both."_

_ We showed her the footage of everyone in town wishing her a happy birthday, and then we gave her her presents. Stefan got her a beautiful bracelet and ring, a teddy bear, and the entire first season of Supernatural because the last time that we were here, she mentioned to him how much she wanted to start watching the show because it looked interesting._

_ I got her a cheesy friendship necklace (purely as a joke, which she got a kick out of). I also got her a Genie pulshie because Aladdin is her favourite Disney movie, and I got her a couple of super cute tops. I also bought her a new purse, and a pissed off looking Elephant lamp that I knew she would think was hilarious._

_ She got some pretty great gifts from her friends, and all of us friends (including Stefan) all worked really hard to make her this big book with pictures and notes and us saying how much we loved her and all the great times we've had together, and she nearly cried._

_ Then, we all shared a little cake with the staff and some of the other patients as we celebrated Emily's birthday._

_ I smiled as I watched Emily and Stefan goof off, Stefan shoving way too much cake into Emily's mouth, and Emily smearing icing all over Stefan's face. Even though they've only known each other three years, you would have thought that they've known each other their whole lives. They act like Ivan and I do. _

_ Stefan and I stayed until visiting hours were over, and even then, we begged and begged the nurses to give us a couple of more minutes every time they walked in._

_ Almost half an hour after visiting hours were over, a nurse walked in. "I'm sorry kids, but you guys should have been gone a half hour ago. You really need to leave."_

_ "But it's my birthday!" Emily protested. "Can't they stay for a little while longer?"_

_ The nurse sadly shook her head. "I already let them stay thirty more minutes when they only asked for five more," She said, giving Stefan and I a pointed look._

_ We both cowered under it as we grumbled "okay". I gave my best friend a sweet hug, and Stefan gave her a hug too. We wished her happy birthday again as we left the room._

_ Once we got into the elevator, I gave Stefan a kiss. "What was that for?" He asked when I pulled away._

_ "For being you," I said simply. I felt super lucky that I had someone like Stefan._

_ We each had an arm wrapped around each other as we made our way to his truck. Stefan walked towards the parking meeter. "Do you have any change on you?" He asked._

_ I shook my head as I let myself into Stefan's car. "I can check the glove compartment," I offered as I reached to open it._

_ Stefan's protests were too late. I had already opened the glove box. And I had already seen what was inside._

_ I reached in, and grabbed the small box. My heart pounded as the little box-that could quite possibly change my life forever) trembled._

_ I turned to face Stefan, a smile crossing my lips. He looked slightly disappointed that he didn't get to present the actual piece of jewelry to me, but I couldn't care less. There was no as I said, "Yes."_

_ "You didn't even open it," Was all Stefan had to say._

_ I managed to roll my eyes through my growing tears. I snapped the box open, and my eyes flooded with tears at the sight of the beautiful engagement ring. Little devil must have gotten it when we bought Emily's jewelry! He had a separate bag, but he wouldn't tell me what was in it. "There, are you happy?" I choked, holding the ring box up. "I opened it. And the answer is still yes."_

_ "But I didn't get to ask you," He said as he crossed over to me. I gave him a look as he took the box out of my hand. Making sure he didn't fall over, Stefan got down on one knee. "Eumelia Helena Christos, will you marry me?"_

_ Tears flooded down my face as I nodded. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" I screamed, wrapping my arms around Stefan's neck. _

_ He hugged me back with the same fever, and he pulled out of the hug to press kisses to my lips, my cheeks, my hair, all the while repeating that he loved me._

_ I was doing the same thing. We finally took five seconds apart, during which Stefan securely slid on the ring onto my left ring finger. It was exactly my size, and it felt so...so _right.

_"Mia, look!" Stefan said, pointing up at the sky._

_ I rolled my eyes. Of course. Only Stefan Salvatore could get excited about astronomy seconds after he got engaged._

_ I looked up, though, and I saw a shoot star. "Make a wish!" He whispered, and I looked back at him._

_ "I don't have to wish for anything," I told him. "You just made all my dreams come true."_

_ And the two of us just kissed each other under stars as bright as our future._

* * *

When I woke up from this dream, I was sitting on the couch. I snapped back into attention, and at the same time, I focused my energy on the coffee table in front of me, which flipped over and crashed into the wall, destroying it.

"That'll be a tough one to explain," Enzo commented as he walked towards me. He handed me my jacket back. "Come on. Damon and I are going to go see Markos."

"And I'm coming, because?" I asked as I stood up and followed Enzo.

"Well, I figured you'd want to know why you're going all haywire," He explained as we met up with Damon.

We all drove to the address, forty-six twenty Walnut Drive. Apparently, it was the house where Stefan and Elena had been living in in their dreams. Which, of course, made me feel uneasy. What made me feel worse was that I was internally struggling with wanting to call Stefan. I didn't know why I didn't want to. I just felt weird.

We cautiously made our way to the house, Damon and Enzo making me walk behind them. Damon opened the door, and waved his hand inside the door to test if he and Enzo would need to be invited in.

"Clear," He whispered, stepping inside.

The entire house was dark as we all walked inside. "So," Enzo started. "_This_ is where Stefan and Elena had _crazy_ visions, eh?"

Damon crumpled up his face, giving his best friend a look.

"It was probably the bedroom," Enzo went on, clearly wanting Damon to feel uncomfortable, and it was secretly making me feel uncomfortable too. So, of course, everything in the room started shaking because of how I was feeling. "Stefan's pretty vanilla, but apparently that's Elena's favourite colour."

"Enzo, I'm gonna staple your tongue to your chin," Damon threatened.

I gave Enzo a glare. "I'll help," I said.

"Not in my house, please."

The three of us turned to face where the new voice came from, and we saw a dark figure sitting in the living room, the fire in the fireplace the only light that was showing his face.

"Markos, I take it," Damon guessed.

Markos stood up as we all walked closer to each other. "Well, I'm _not _Stefan, and this is _not_ Elena," Damon went on, pointing at Enzo. "And you'll be dead faster than you can think if you hurt this one," He continued, pointing at me.

"Oh, I would never harm a fellow Traveler," Markos said. "Especially a Christos Traveler. Anyways, why are you here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question," Damon retorted as Markos studied the fire. "Plus, what do you want, why are the doppelgangers having visions of each other, and why can't Juliet here control herself?"

"First two are complicated," Markos answered. "Last two are easy. First off, _I'm _the reason that Stefan and Elena are having visions of each other."

"You?" Damon repeated.

"Well, would you look at that," Enzo laughed. "I think we just met the Universe."

Damon and Enzo walked forward, but Enzo pushed me behind him so that I stayed back. I growled slightly, and the flames in the fireplace jumped up slightly higher as a result.

"You mind telling me what the _hell _is going on?" Damon demanded.

"Well, I'm afraid the doppelganger lore has been...misinterpreted over the ages," Markos began.

"As in there _is_ no prophecy?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"The prophecy is that the doppelganger blood can help the Travelers," Markos explained. "But they're being drawn together because of the spell that I cast fifteen hundred years ago. I had no idea where they were. And it turns out, the best way for people to go searching for each other, is the promise of true love."

So there _was_ no prophecy. I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. That meant that even if Stefan and Elena hadn't originally fell in love, that didn't mean that they were fated to be together. The revelation reminded me of the Sun and the Moon curse masking as the Hybrid curse.

"Is it stuffy in here?" Markos asked. "Why don't we take a walk?"

Damon, Enzo and I moved to leave, but Markos stopped only Enzo. "You stay here," He commanded.

Enzo scoffed. "Not bloody likely."

"You want to find Maggie?" Markos questioned, and Enzo went eerily quiet. "You stay here."

Enzo backed up. I knew how much he wanted to know where Maggie was, so I didn't say anything as Markos looked back to Damon and I. "Shall we?"

* * *

_ "Emily Vivienne Salvatore," I said, looking at my daughter. "What is it that you did wrong?"_

_ Emily (who had been named after my best friend who had unfortunately passed away from her cancer a few months after her birthday), studied her hands. "I bit my brother."_

_ "And Elliott Owen Salvatore," Stefan started, looking at our son. "What did _you_ do wrong?"_

_ Elliott's (who's name Stefan picked because he loved the movie ET growing up) lower lip wobbled as he said, "I pushed my sister."_

_ "Do you two understand _why _it's wrong?" I asked, looking at the two of them._

_ They nodded. _

_ "Why?" My husband asked._

_ "Because it's not nice to hurt people," Emily said. _

_ I smiled gently at my kids. "Good. Now, Emily, you sit on that couch-" I pointed at the couch on the opposite side of the living room. "And Elliott, you sit on that chair." I pointed at Stefan's favourite plush chair. "You're in a time out for ten minutes."_

_ "Aww, why?" They both complained._

_ "Because you have to understand that when you misbehave, there are consequences," Stefan explained. "Now, you two heard your mother."_

_ Emily and Elliott grumbled to themselves about how unfair we were being as they went to their respective corners of the living room. I sighed as I pushed myself off of the coffee table that I was leaning against, walking into the kitchen to check on our dinner. _

_ "Your kids are driving me crazy," I muttered as I checked on our chicken._

_ "Hang on, how come when they misbehave, they're _my_ kids?" Stefan asked as he took out a bag of mix vegetables from the freezer._

_ I grinned. "Because I know you, Mr. Salvatore," I said. "They _definitely_ get their misbehaving gene from you."_

_ Stefan smirked as I turned to the dishes in the sink. "Oh, yeah? Well, I know you too, Mrs. Salvatore," Stefan purred as he walked over to me. He pressed himself into my back, wrapping his arms around my waist. "And I think they got the gene from you just as much as they got it from me."_

_ I giggled, wiping my hands on the dish towel. I turned around, and wrapped my arms around my husband's neck. "Are we going to have this discussion or are you going to kiss me?"_

_ Stefan pretended to think about. "I think I'm going to kiss you."_

_ The two of us laughed as we met for a sweet kiss. Even after all these years, Stefan made me feel as if we were just starting out our relationship._

_ He was my Romeo, and I was his Juliet._

* * *

"Mystic Falls is beautiful town," Markos admired as we walked the streets of our city square.

I snapped back into attention as tears flooded my eyes. This time, one of the street light's light bulbs caught my attention, and I blew the fuse. We all flinched away from the light, but then everyone went back to what they were doing.

Stefan and I were _married_. We had _kids_. We had the perfect life.

Why was I still seeing these things?

"Oh, yeah," Damon humoured him. "Pickett fences, block parties, uncannily high death rate."

"Not to mention the psychos that we get every other month," I threw in, and Damon had to hold back his laugh.

"You take your homes for granted," Markos bit.

"I'm sorry, are we walking so I don't fall asleep?" Damon asked.

"Two thousand years ago," Markos began. "Silas and Qetsiyah cast a spell for Immortality. It created a schism in the Traveler community; giving rise to the witches. They tried to keep us scattered, make us forget how powerful we can be."

"And, thus began the war between the Travelers and the witches and it still rages _on_ and _on,_" Damon finished with a fake yawn. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me as Markos smiled bitterly. "Sorry," Damon fake apologized. "I just nodded off."

"The witches put a curse on us that kept us from settling down as a tribe," Markos explained. "Whenever we tried to gather, disaster struck. Plagues, earthquakes, fire. Something inevitably wiped us out."

"Let me guess. The doppelgangers can fix them," Damon said. "So you found them. Now what?"

"Before that," I interrupted. "You still haven't answered the question as to what the hell is going on with me."

"Oh, that's easy, too," Markos smirked. "Everyone knows that the Christos Travelers are the most powerful Travelers in existence. They were able to call upon some elements of the Earth, though they didn't work like they were supposed to. One of your ancestor's wanted to fix that. So, she tried to cast a spell. Unfortunately for her, the spell backfired, and the spell that was casted made it so that instead of all the Christos Travelers being able to use the elements of the Earth again, the last remaining Christos Traveler shall be flooded with all the magic of the Christos Travelers before them, all at the same time. After Ivan's death, you are the last remaining Christos Traveler, and with all the power in your blood, any spell that is used with it is made maybe a hundred times more powerful. Which is why we needed your blood, too."

Oh my God. "So that's why I've been so out of control?"

Markos nodded. "All that power in your body is having trouble settling. I thought that as a nice distraction, and to show you that we are only trying to help, I gave you your visions, too."

"Wait, _you_ had visions too?" Damon asked. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it had nothing to do with the doppelganger prophecy," I defended. "I thought I could figure it out myself."

"I gave you the vision of a perfect life to show you that I wasn't an enemy," Markos said. "To show you that I could be trusted. I can even help you control your magic."

"Hold on, this can wait until later," Damon interrupted. "How are you gonna stop Stefan and Elena and Jules's visions?"

"Simple," Markos revealed, and we waited for his answer.

Instead of getting one, every single person in our quiet little town in the town square stopped whatever they were doing to turn towards us. They began chanting a spell, one that I didn't recognize.

"The curse might prevent us from gathering in our own bodies, but we found ways around that," Markos explained when Damon and I gave him confused looks.

"Passengers," I breathed as I got the idea. "How many people are there?"

"A few, here and there," Markos answered as he looked around. He turned back to me. "Eumelia, if you want a full explanation, give me your hand."

I rolled my eyes as I placed my hand in Markos's. There was really no point in arguing. He took out a knife, and made a cut on my hand. I winced as he ran the blade on my hand, and blood oozed out of my wound. With all the supposed power running through it, I thought my blood might sparkle or something. No such luck, though.

I gritted my teeth in pain as Markos coated his fingers with my blood. He began chanting as he dug his fingers into my open wound. I cried out, and the wind around me began to pick up. The deeper Markos shoved his fingers into my hand, the harsher the wind blew. The streetlights began to flicker, and some of them even blew out.

Markos finished chanting, and I think he said something, but I didn't hear it. I was in too much pain.

Even though Markos had finished the spell, I got the same feeling as I did the night of the mass suicide. I screamed in pain as I clutched at my head, trying to fight the pain off. The wind practically bit at my cheeks because it was blowing so hard.

"Juliet!" Damon yelled, grabbing me by the arms. I fell into him, and I went crashing to the ground, dragging Damon with me.

He looked back up at Markos. "Whatever the hell it is that you've done to her, undo it."

"Oh, _I_ haven't done anything," Markos said innocently. "That is _all_ the work of Andrea Christos."

"What do you mean?" Damon asked as the pain practically rippled against my chest. I felt my nose starting to bleed, and the blood poured down my face.

"All that power is too much for one person," Markos explained. "If she manages to survive through the magic settling in her body, she'll be fine."

"And if she can't?" Damon urged.

Markos shrugged. "The magic will overwhelm her and she'll die. And trust me, _this_-" He gestured at me. "Is only the beginning."

I didn't mean much of anything else because I finally passed out from all the pain.

* * *

When I regained consciousness, I threw myself forward as I sat up. I remembered all of the pain that I had gone through, and I looked all around me.

I was in the Salvatore's living room, and my gaze landed on the huge windows that they had. Unfortunately, I let my gaze linger for too long, and the entire glass frame shattered.

I covered myself as glass flew everywhere, and when I looked back up, I saw Damon walking into the living room. He stopped when he saw the broken windows, and me standing guiltily.

"Damon, I am _so sorry_," I started, and I started to panic.

"Juliet, it's okay," He said as he walked towards me. "It's just a little broken glass-"

"It's not just the glass, Damon," I said, the wind picking up around me. "I also broke your coffee table. And your mirror."

"Jules, I can pay to get that stuff fixed," He said carefully, taking a small step towards me. "You just need to stay calm."

"Stay calm?" I repeated. "Yeah, I just need to stay...calm..." I started talking deep breaths in.

"The magic will overwhelm her and she'll die," Markos's words rang in my ears, and I started to panic.

I guess Damon could sense it, because he took a few more steps towards me. "Juliet, calm down. You're okay."

"No, I'm not okay, Damon!" I exclaimed, and the whole room started to shake. "I need...I need some fresh air," I stammered, turning around and running outside.

I faintly heard Damon's footsteps as I felt the wind hit me in the face on my way out the door. Uh, oh.

"Juliet!" Damon called.

"No, don't!" I protested, spinning on my heel and putting out my hand so that Damon would get the idea to stay away.

Unfortunately, I had unknowingly used my magic as I did so, and I sent Damon flying backwards. He harshly hit the side of the house, and slipped to the ground.

My hands went flying to my mouth. "Damon, I'm sorry!"

"It's okay," He groaned as he stood up.

Tears flooded down my face. "Stay back, Damon. Don't come any closer!"

"Julie, take deep breaths," He coached as he took a few steps closer to me.

I tried taking the deep breaths like he said.

_"All that power is too much for one person."_

The wind harshly ripped through my hair as I started to feel overwhelmed.

"Juliet, control!" Damon shouted over the winds.

"I can't!" I screamed, putting my hands to my forehead to try and calm myself down. The ground started to shake underneath us, and the trees started to move because of how badly the wind was blowing.

Damon looked like he didn't know what to do. Then, in a few swift steps, he started walking towards me. I opened my mouth to tell him to stay back, but he cupped my face and slammed his lips on to mine.

What the hell? I thought to myself as he kissed me. I was so distracted by the suddenness of his kiss that I let him kiss me, but then I snapped back to reality and pushed him away from me. "What the hell was that?"

"A distraction," Damon answered as he wiped his mouth. "Look around you."

I did, and I noticed that everything had gone back to normal. The wind was fine, the ground was no longer shaking, and the trees weren't acting like they were going to get ripped out of the Earth.

"Everything is okay again," I whispered to myself. I looked back over to Damon. "I should say thanks," I muttered. "So, thanks."

He shrugged. "No problem. Just, don't let yourself go crazy again."

"But Damon, this is a real problem," I said. "Unless I can learn to control these powers properly, I could die."

Damon reached over and gathered me into his arms for a hug. "You're Juleit Gilbert. You'll figure it out."

I accepted his hug. Was he right? Could I figure this out?

* * *

I was walking back to my car when I saw him.

"Stefan," I breathed, and I ran towards him.

He met me halfway in a hug, wrapping his arms around me. "Hey, Elena told me that your magic is going crazy," He said, pulling back. He cupped my face. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "For now. I just have to keep myself distracted. It's a whole thing that I really don't want to go into right now."

Stefan nodded. "Of course. So, uh," He hesitated. "Did Elena tell you..."

"That you and her had dreams of a human life together?" I finished. "Yup."

"Listen, the Travelers gave me those dreams," He started. "I didn't come up with them. I-"

I cut him off, putting my finger to his lips. "I know, Stefan. I know."

He sighed. "Thank God. I thought I was in really big trouble for a second."

I laughed slightly. "I never told anyone, well, other than Damon, but Markos gave me visions, too."

"He did?" He asked. "Why? What were they about?"

"Markos gave me visions of a perfect life," I told him. "One where my parents and Ivan were alive, where I was a normal human. Where we got married and had kids," I said, and his eyes softened. "But he only did it so that he could convince me to join the Travelers."

"And what did you say?" He asked.

"I didn't say anything because I was too busy passing out," I said. "It has a lot to do with my magic that I don't want to go into," I waved off before Stefan could ask. "But I'm not joining the Travelers. I'm gonna help stop them."

"Hopefully once we do, we can finally do normal couple stuff," Stefan said as he opened my car door for me.

"Yeah, like dates and stuff," I joked as I slipped into my car. "Hey, Stefan?"

"Yeah?" He asked, leaning in.

I leaned forward and kissed him. "I missed you."

Stefan leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I missed you, too.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I am SO sorry if the ending feels rushed, because it technically was.**

**I was faced with writer's block for this chapter which is also part of the reason why I took so long to update.**

**And I don't have time to make it better because I just wanted this up and I start school tomorrow, and there are still a few things I need to do before I go to bed.**

**And now that school is starting I'll TRY to be good with updates but no promises!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	19. Man on Fire

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the VERY late update, school got in the way. BUT good news is, I skipped a lot of the Maggie explaining situation because let's be real that was hella boring.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Breakfast, Professor Salvatore?" I asked as I walked back over to Stefan. I held out a bagel on a plate in front of him.

"Oh, no, no, no. I see what you're doing," He said, waving a finger at me.

We were at Elena, Caroline, and I's favourite cafe/library on campus. Stefan drove all the way to Whitmore so that he could help me study...and keep me distracted from my powers.

Damon taught me that the best way to deal with my powers was to ignore them. And I had no choice but to accept that because I had no idea how to fix myself. No way was I teaming up with Markos.

I sat back down in my chair, giving him an innocent look. "What? I'm not doing anything! I was just trying to offer my study buddy brain food." I put the plate on the coffee table in front of us.

"Distraction tactics," He scolded. He held up my textbook. "You are never going to pass shoving food in your mouth."

"I can certainly _try_, can't I?"

"No, you can't."

I huffed, leaning back into the chair. "Okay, fine. Go."

Stefan cleared his throat. "Psychology, sociology, and anthropology share the assumption that...?"

"Scientific methods can be used to understand human behaviour," I finished, quoting the textbook.

"Very good," Stefan praised. "As in...verabitm. Which means that I need to start asking you more difficult questions."

"Thank you," I said, out of the blue.

"For what?" He asked, rifling through my flashcards.

I shrugged. "For helping me study the day after I find out that I have magic in my body that could potentially kill me." I drew a deep breath. "Speaking of distraction tactics..."

"Hey, that's _not_ going to happen," Stefan assured me. He leaned over and grabbed my hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Once all this Traveler nonsense is done, we'll find your family book and figure out how to fix this."

"I'll have to survive exams first."

"That makes two of us," Elena announced as she and Bonnie rushed over to where we were sitting.

"Sorry we're late," Bonnie apologized. "What did we miss?"

"Nothing much. Except for the fact that Stefan doesn't think that I can pass a test by eating."

"Because you _can't_!" Stefan protested.

"Oh please," Bonnie said as she took out her own textbook. "If anyone can figure out how to pass an exam by eating, it's gonna be Jules."

Elena looked uneasily at Bonnie. "I'm surpised that you're up for studying, you know, considering..."

"Considering?" Bonnie pressed.

"The Other Side...Falling apart," Elena finished. She looked over at us. "She's in denial."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I grumbled, and Elena gave me a playful nudge in response.

"I'm not in denial," Bonnie defended. "The Other Side is disintegrating. As the anchor to the Other Side, I'm only alive as long as there _is_ an Other Side. I'm...perfectly aware of the threat of my impending death."

I crumpled my nose in distaste. "Jesus, Bonnie, when did you get so freaking _dark_?"

"It's called acceptance," Bonnie retorted. "Fifth stage of grief. Look it up, tutor guy."

"Definitely in denial," Stefan agreed.

"Yeah," Elena agreed. "Bonnie, look. I've already lost you once. We're not doing this again. It's not an option, okay? Not to mention what's going to happen to Alaric, your Grams, and...everyone else that's over there."

"My family," I said quietly. "My parents, Ivan..."

I felt the breeze coming in from the window blow harder, but I used everything in me to calm down, and it worked. I took a deep breath. "So, what are we gonna do?"

"Fine. If you guys promise to stop hovering, I'll ask Liv if she has any witchy ideas," Bonnie gave in. "Besides, don't we have bigger problems with those Travelers trying to take over Mystic Falls?"

"Oh, no. Damon's already on that," Stefan waved off.

Elena snapped her head in Stefan's direction. "Wait, he is?"

"Did I say Damon?" Stefan stammered. "What I meant to say was...uh..."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows at Stefan, and looked over to Elena for an explanation. "Damon said that he never wanted to see me again. I guess we're both in denial," She finished with a sad shrug.

I cleared my throat. "I am _so_ not gonna pass this exam unless you guys shut up and help me study."

* * *

During our first break, Bonnie went to go talk to Liv and Elena went to go to the bathroom, which left Stefan and I.

"I think it's working," Stefan said.

I looked up from the textbook. I was determined to be able to answer all the questions right, because the ones I got wrong, Stefan always made fun of me for it. "What?"

"The whole 'distraction' thing with your powers? I think it's working," Stefan smiled. "It's been thirty whole minutes and you haven't busted a window."

"Let's not push our luck," I muttered under my breath, studying the book.

"What happened to the Little Miss Sunshine act?" A new voice said, and I wanted to scream.

Stefan and I looked over at Enzo, who just stood there as if we had invited him.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I can't join my friends for a cup of tea?" Enzo asked.

Stefan and I exchanged half annoyed half worried looks as we looked back up at Enzo.

"Damon, your friend-uh, singular-isn't here and we're a little busy right now," Stefan answered, putting the textbook on the table in front of us.

Enzo ignored what Stefan said, and plopped down next to me. "Hello, Doll Face."

"Enzo, as you may know, I'm not in the most stable condition right now, so I can't make any promises as to what may happen to your face if you call me Doll Face one more time," I informed him.

Enzo also ignored what I said, and said, "You remember the girl I told you about, Maggie, right?"

"If you're talking about the girl who was helping the people rip into your body, then yes."

Enzo looked over at Stefan. "Maggie worked there as an observer, taking notes on my behaviour. She never got too close, never took off her vervain bracelet, but we spent hours and hours talking, and we developed an attachment. Now, she left in 1950," Enzo explained. "I imagined her one day teaching at one of those fancy universities. Starting a family, living her life to the fullest. I'm sure you two can appreciate that."

"What's going on?" Elena asked as she returned. "Why is Enzo here?"

Enzo reached into his pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper from inside his pocket. "That Traveler girl, Sloan, gave me this yesterday," He said, waving it around. "Making good on a promise. From the Augustine files left behind by our good Doctor Wes."

I shuddered at the thought of Wes's fate. I didn't like him, but I knew that Damon went after him, and Damon would _not_ have made it quick and painless. While Wes probably had it coming, that was still no way to die.

Enzo dropped the piece of paper on to the table, and I reached over and picked it up to see what was written on it.

It turned out, there was nothing written on it, but there _was_ a picture. It was a photograph of a dead woman's body, her head separated from her body. Her eyes were open, and I felt sick to my stomach at the sight of it. I closed my eyes and tried to control the urge to vomit, passing the picture to Stefan. I also couldn't help but feel worried, because I knew what what happened to her was called. My diaries didn't leave out details.

"Yes. Imagine how I felt when I saw it," Enzo went on. "Turns out Maggie died in 1960. In Mystic Falls. Someone tore her head right off her body."

Elena and I looked over to Stefan. I felt panic rising in me as I asked, "In 1960, were you a-"

"A Ripper?" Enzo interrupted, never once taking his eyes off of Stefan. "Clearly."

Stefan shook his head. "I wasn't a Ripper then," He told Enzo, tossing the picture back on the table. "I'm really sorry about your friend, but I had nothing to do with it."

I met Stefan's eye for a second, and in that one second, I knew he was being truthful. I didn't know how, but I knew he wasn't the one that killed Maggie. But who killed her in the Ripper format? And why?

Enzo's face stayed unchanged, and I felt worry bubbling up in my stomach at the thoughts that were racing in his mind. I couldn't forget how quickly he killed Tom Avery right before my eyes.

"Ah, I thought you might say that," Enzo eventually said, and he stood up. "Liv! A little service here, please!"

Liv, the college witch, was by Elena's side in seconds. She held out her hand and started incantating some sort of spell, and Stefan and Elena immediately started screaming in pain.

"Hey!" I stormed, standing up. I felt the wind picking up around me, but I didn't care. "Stop it!"

Liv didn't listen as she continued the violent assault on Stefan and Elena's minds. I felt my fingers beginning to tingle, and I turned to Enzo. "Enzo, stop it! Stefan said he didn't do it, so he didn't do it!"

Enzo tutted. "No can do, Tinkerbell."

"Liv, what are you doing?" Bonnie thundered. "Stop!"

"I can't stop. I'm sorry," Liv told her.

"That's my fault, really," Enzo explained. "Where's Luke?" He shouted, and the backdoor to the coffee shop opened. In came who I assumed to be Luke being carried by two rather large looking guys. "See, I compelled a few blokes from the rugby team to keep her brother's life in jeopardy so that should thet witch disobey, he will die. There's a good soldier," Enzo said, looking over to Liv.

Liv looked like she wanted nothing more than to rip Enzo's heart out, but she restrained herself.

I turned to Enzo. "Enzo, I'm gonna ask one more time. Stop it."

Enzo shook his head. "I can't do that, Juliet."

"Fine," I relented. "Then I'm going to make you stop."

I lifted my hand, and I opened my mouth to incantate a spell to put Enzo in pain to get him to stop. Unfortunately, he was a freaking vampire, and he grabbed my arm. I swung my other arm to punch him, but he grabbed that arm too, before smacking his head against mine.

The pain was nothing for Enzo, but it was a lot for me. I tried to stay conscious, but I couldn't fight the feeling any longer, and I went unconscious.

* * *

When I came to, I quickly realized that there was a gag over my mouth, probably so that I couldn't say a spell. I also realized that my hands were tied up and that I was tied to a chair.

I shakily opened my eyes, and my eyes immediately came into contact with Enzo's gaze.

"Ah, Doll Face! Have a nice nap?" He asked.

My only response was to visualize the mug that Elena had been drinking from earlier flying to his face. And what do you know, that's what happened.

He narrowly avoided getting hit in the face, and he gave me a glare. "Now, now, Juliet. If you agree to behave, I'll take that gag off of you. But one little word of your little Traveler song and I will snap your neck, no matter how fond I am of you."

Those words made me shiver internally. I didn't say anything, and Enzo carefully walked over to me before painsakingly slowly taking off my gag.

I coughed as soon as it was out of my mouth, trying to get the bitter taste of the cloth off of my mouth. "Now, will you behave?"

I didn't give him the satisfaction of an answer. I wouldn't purposefully try anything, but hey, if my magic causes his brain to have an aneurysm, I was all for it.

I sat silently as Enzo went back to talking. "Anyways, back to my original point," He started. Suddenly, he turned, and stabbed Stefan in the stomach with a stake.

Stefan screamed, and I winced. "Hey, stop it!" I protested.

"Sorry, what was that?" Enzo asked, gesturing around his ear. "I couldn't hear you over all the-"

And then Enzo pushed the stake farther into Stefan, who groaned at the pain.

I felt my anger building up in me, and I let it. "Enzo, stop it!"

"Stop, Enzo," Elena agreed. "He already admitted to killing her, what else do you want?"

Stefan did _what_? I looked over at him, and his look was undecipherable as he tried to deal with the pain of the stake in his stomach.

Finally, Enzo ripped the stake from Stefan's body. "I used to scream too," He said. "But for me, it wasn't so much the sharp instruments as it was the fingers," Enzo went on, wiggling his fingers for added effect. "Oh, those bloody fingers." And just like that, he stabbed Stefan in the gut again.

That's when I lost it.

I focused all of my anger on Enzo, and he was suddenly pushed back, falling back against the sofa. He groaned as he sat up, looking over at me. "What the hell did you just do?"

"Oh that?" I started. "That was nothing. I have so much more up my sleeve."

"I don't doubt that," Enzo said, and suddenly, he was standing over Stefan, the stake positioned right over his heart. "If you try one more thing, nothing will stop me from shoving this stake right through Stefan's heart."

I was about to respond (with what, I didn't know) when a voice interrupted me.

"Well, this is depressing."

For once in my life, I was relieved to hear Damon's voice. He walked into the shop, acting as if he didn't have a care in the world.

Damon looked around at the scenery. "Stadium seating really necessary? These people are starting to creep me out."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was a veiled attempt to get me to release the damn hostages," Enzo growled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was that veiled?" Damon asked, sarcasm practically dripping off of his tongue. "Release the damn hostages!"

"Who's side are you on?" Enzo demanded.

"There are _sides_ now?" Damon asked, walking towards his friend.

"You were there with me in Augustine!" Enzo snapped. "Look, don't tell me you've forgotten what it's like to cling on to the _one_ thing that kept you from feeling pain!"

"Enzo," Damon said, surprisingly gently. "I get it. The prospect of seeing Maggie again was your safety line to the outside world-the _one_ thing that kept you from shutting it off. But she's _gone_. There's probably a chapter in Jules's psych book about it." Damon looked over at Stefan, Elena, and I. "What's this? Study buddies?"

Enzo turned around and looked at Stefan and Elena, and I tried my best to keep my magic in check. It was slowly starting to get easier, because if anyone could reign Enzo in, it was Damon.

"The thing is," Damon started, his voice laced with regret. "I didn't know she was _your_ Maggie."

As soon as the words sunk in, I squeezed my eyes shut and looked down, the meaning behind them shocking.

"What are you talking about?" Enzo said softly, turning back to Damon.

"She didn't tell me her name when we met," Damon clarified, and I looked over at Stefan, who was on the same wavelength as me.

Damon was the one that killed Maggie.

"And when, exactly, was that?" Enzo pressed.

"November 8, 1960," Damon answered, and by the sorrowful look on Elena's face, I knew that was the day that Maggie had died. He launched into the story of how he met Maggie. She tried to get him with an Augustine needle filled with vervain, and since Damon made it his life goal to kill anyone that was part of the Augustine society, he killed her. He ripped her head right off of her body to make it look like Ripper Stefan had killed her.

Damon's eyes actually had some regret behind them. "Had she gotten me with that vervain injection, things would've been very different. She didn't stand a chance against me."

"And you made it look like _I_ did it?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Maggie was the hope that Enzo clung to, and you were mine, and when you didn't notice that I was missing for _five years_, let's just say that I held a grudge."

Enzo finally spoke up, having remained quiet through the whole story. "_You _killed Maggie?"

Damon didn't meet Enzo's gaze. "I didn't even bat an eye. My switch was off Enzo, and I did a lot of terrible things. But I didn't do it to make your life miserable from every angle. I did it because I didn't care!" Damon took a deep breath. "Just do whatever it is you've gotta do. You wanna kill me, you wanna hate me, do it. But this is between _us_."

Honestly, as soon as the words fell from Damon's mouth, I expected his head to be doing the same thing after Enzo ripped it off. Instead, Enzo rasped, "That's the _problem_, Damon. I don't want to hate you. Because if I hate you, then I have _nothing_ left." Enzo looked like he was two seconds away from losing it and crying, but he kept himself stable. Going from his pity filled voice, Enzo's voice was normal again. "But there is another option."

Another option?

Enzo took a deep breath in, and closed his eyes. Enzo didn't say anything, but the idea of what he was doing finally dawned on all of us, and Damon vamp sped over to his best friend, grabbing him by the collar. "Don't you dare!" Damon begged, shaking him. "Hey, Enzo!"

Damon stopped shaking him, and Enzo opened his eyes. Suddenly, the air around Enzo seemed to have lifted, somehow, despite him being filled with sadness before.

But then that's when I realized that sadness was an emotion, and Enzo didn't have those anymore.

"There we are." Enzo smiled happily, clapping a hand on Damon's arm. "You're right! I don't have a care in the world!"

* * *

Enzo poured himself a drink at the bar that was in the shop as he played with a lighter. We all stood (well, technically) on eggshells around him. Now that his humanity was off, there was no telling what he could do.

He quickly downed whatever he had poured for himself, before slamming the glass against the table. The sudden sound instantly made me jump, and I felt stupid afterwards.

"This is fun, not caring," Enzo commented. He turned to face us, throwing the empty bottle into the air and whistling as he watched it drop to the ground and shatter.

"Yup. Emotion-free, bye-bye humanity," Damon said.

I made a face. "_Please_ tell me you did not just make that joke."

"This isn't the time for jokes, Jules," Damon said.

"Actually, it's the perfect time for jokes!" Enzo agreed. He went back to the bar, grabbing another bottle of alcohol. He lifted the bottle in the air. "To Maggie James! For whom I feel absolute and blissful detachment."

I rolled my eyes at his new 'out look on life'. Enzo needed a better life coach.

"What do you say we get out of here?" Damon asked him, and Elena snapped her head up at him. He didn't pay her any heed, though. "Where is it that you wanted to go? Cape Town?"

"Cape Horn," Enzo corrected.

"Even better," Damon agreed, and when Enzo had his back turned to Damon, Damon grabbed one of the glass shards from the broken glass and passed it discreetly to Stefan, who started to cut at his ropes.

Enzo turned around, and clapped his hands. "All right! Everyone's free to go! Show's over! Don't worry, I compelled you all to think you spent the day studying like the good little students that you are," Enzo said as everyone in the building began grabbing their stuff and walking out the door.

Enzo walked over to Stefan, Elena and I, and I tensed up even more when I saw that Enzo was making his way over to _me_. "Now, I have a question for you, Tinkerbell. You're young, powerful, beautiful," He said, running his hand down my cheek, and I jerked my head back. From beside me, I could tell that it was taking everything in Stefan to not rip out Enzo's heart right then and there. "How is it that you don't have a boyfriend?"

I gave him a look of distaste. "Just because I'm all of those things doesn't mean that I need a boyfriend. All I need is me."

"That's strange," Enzo said. "Because I swear on our little rendevous, you liked me."

I let out a harsh laugh. "Enzo, you clearly have no sense of when a girl likes you, because, trust me, that wasn't liking."

"Oh, what a shame," Enzo pouted. "If you had said that you did like me, I probably wouldn't have done what I'm about to do."

"What-" The word died in my throat as I saw Enzo's face change. His eyes turned red, and black veins crawled under his eyes as he bared his fangs. Before I could think, he sank his teeth into my throat.

"No!" I heard Stefan roar, but I couldn't focus on him for too long.

I screamed in pain when he started drinking from me, and after a few seconds, he pulled his fangs from my throat. He the chair to the side, and since I was still tied to the chair, I went falling with it. My head slammed against the floor, and I groaned at the dizziness feeling entering my head. The worst part was I couldn't even pull my hands to my throat to try and stop the bleeding, because my hands were still tied up.

"Look at that," Enzo said, my blood dripping from his lips. "I don't even feel obligated to say thank you!"

From what I could see, the next thing that happened was that Damon charged Enzo. But Enzo saw the move coming, and he stabbed Damon in the neck with a broken piece of glass. At the same time, Stefan had finally broken his ropes, and he literally pounced on Enzo, punching him in the face.

I felt four hands on me. One of them was cutting away at my restraints, and the other had their hands pressed against my neck. I looked up to see Bonnie trying to stop my bleeding, and I guessed that Liv was behind me, trying to cut my ropes.

Then, I saw Enzo going flying into one of the tables. He grabbed a jug, and dumped the contents all over Stefan, who groaned in pain as the liquid literally sizzled his skin, so I could only assume that there was vervain in the water. Then, he sped over to Elena, grabbed her, and ran off.

"No..." I mumbled as I felt the rope break. Liv grabbed me by the arms, and gently sat me up as Bonnie's hands stayed at my throat. My own hands went to my throat, trying to stop the blood that was seeping out.

Stefan was immediately at my side, taking me out of Bonnie's arms. He cradled me as his eyes went to my bleeding throat.

"He took Elena," Damon informed us. "You stay here, heal Jules. I'll go after him."

"Damon," I breathed. "Don't let him kill Elena. Please."

Damon didn't hesitate. "You can count on that." And with that, he sped out of the building.

Stefan bit into his wrist, and pressed it against my mouth. I latched on, drinking the blood that poured from his wrist. He brushed my hair away from my face as I drank the metallic tasting blood, wincing as I felt it slip down my throat.

Stefan pulled his wrist away from me, and looked me in the eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked, rubbing his thumb along my cheekbone.

I nodded. "Go. Save her."

* * *

I convinced Bonnie that I was okay to walk to my dorm, but that's not where I went.

I went after Elena.

Okay, can you blame me? After the effort that we went through to get her back, I wasn't going to lose her again.

"Elena!" I shouted as I ran, getting better with each step. "Elena!"

I ran all the way to the parking lot, where I found Stefan and Enzo. Enzo was leaning in front of Stefan, who was leaning against a car. There was gasoline spilling all around him, and I saw the lighter in his hand.

Eyes widening, I didn't even think as I stretched my arms out. I pictured grabbing Enzo by the shoulders, and I yanked him back so I could get him away from Stefan.

Oh, it did the trick, all right. Enzo fell back against the car across from Stefan, and I sighed in relief as I ran all the way over to Stefan.

It didn't even occur to me why Enzo hadn't gotten up to fight back until I actually _got_ to Stefan. The darkness masked what Stefan was holding in his hand well, but with the light from the streetlights practically bathing it, my stomach dropped all the way to my feet.

It was a heart.

And I think I knew who's it was.

I gasped in horror as I ran over to Enzo. I grabbed him by the shoulders, and studied the spot in his chest where his heart should have been. Instead, there was a hand shaped hole. His face and body was gray, and covered in black veins, like when Nadia died.

I looked back over to Stefan, who was staring at me in shock. My eyes fillde with tears as I looked over at the heart in his hand. _Enzo's_ heart.

"Oh my God!" I cried. "I just _killed _Enzo!"

Stefan immediately dropped Enzo's heart to the ground and came over to me. "No, you didn't."

"What do you mean, I didn't?" I sobbed as the wind blew harder. "I pulled Enzo away from you while you had your hand around his heart!"

"But you didn't know!" Stefan defended, hugging me. "Besides, he had just started to push himself off of the car when you pulled him back. He was going to kill himself and frame me for doing it."

"But I still did it," I said. I looked up at Stefan. "I just _killed_ Damon's best friend!"

"No, you didn't," Stefan said, brushing my tears away. He looked over at Enzo, and gently set me down. "Sit tight."

It wasn't like I could protest. I just sat there as Stefan reached into Enzo's pocket and pulled out his phone. He played a message, but I wasn't paying attention. I was too focused on the person that I had just killed.

_"I don't kill people!"_ My words to Enzo rang in my head, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I cried.

I opened them again, and Stefan came over to me. He put his hands under my arms, and lifted me up. "Don't look at him."

"What are you going to do with the body?" I asked, trying my best not to look at Enzo.

"I'll deal with it," He said. "You go back to your dorm, take a shower, and change into clothes that aren't covered in your own blood."

I looked down at my bloodstained clothes. I hadn't even noticed.

"I'll come see you after, okay?" He continued. "Juliet? You did not do this."

But I did.

I did.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Whew, sorry that took so long! School started and with the homework and assignments and the fact that I work from 10-6 on Sundays now give me very little time to write, so I probably won't be fully caught up until next weekend, but hopefully I can get caught up fast!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	20. What Lies Beneath

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **So. Who watched the premiere?

I'm honestly so done. The only thing I actually felt anything for was Tyler and Liv (I feel a new ship coming on) and Bamon holy shit domestic!Bamon. I like it.

Anyways! Here's the next chapter!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"UGH!" I groaned, kicking at a pile of clothes left on the floor. "Seriously, guys? I'm gone not three days and this place turns into a _mess_ again?!"

"It's not our fault!" Matt protested. "We practically tore the place apart looking for the Traveler knife."

"And why didn't you clean up after?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

Matt and Jeremy both hesitated as they looked over to each other. "...We're...guys?" Jeremy offered weakly.

"Of course." I rolled my eyes. Since Tyler came back, he and Matt had moved into the Lockwood mansion. Matt extended that invitation to me, and I accepted it. The Lockwood mansion had nicer rooms than Matt's house did, but I felt a little sad without Carol's presence. A little after, Jeremy moved in with us, and I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to live with the awkwardness that is Damon and Elena's relationship either. "Listen, I'm totally up for visits, but not if I'm cleaning up the entire Lockwood mansion every timeI come over! I told you guys last time I was here would be the last time I was cleaning this place up. I'm only here to get more clothes."

"More clothes?" Matt asked. "For what?"

"Well with all of the hell that seems to have been going on around us, I have had no time for laundry back at the dorm," I explained. "And Elena called and said that we were going on a little holiday. Ergo, I need clothes." I pointed my finger at my best friend and my brother. "When I get back, I expect this place to be in tip top condition, capiche?"

They both nodded. I smiled. "Out of my way boys, I have some down time calling my name!"

* * *

I shoved a book into Elena's hands. She looked down at it, and furrowed her eyebrows.

"A dictionary?"

"Yes, a dictionary."

"Why are you giving me a dictionary?"

"Because you _clearly_ need to look up the meaning of the word _holiday_," I sneered, and I threw my hands up. "Look where we are!"

It turned out, we _weren't_ going to Harry Potter world. We were at Caroline's Dad, Bill Forbes's cabin in the middle of freaking _nowhere_.

"Look, I didn't tell you the actual reason we were here because I knew you'd never agree!" Elena protested.

I had to admit, that was true. The reason that we were here was because Markos was looking for Stefan, Elena, and I, and, well, we weren't too keen on being kidnapped.

"Well, we're here now, so suck it up," Elena said, grabbing one of the suitcases and going towards the cabin.

I checked to make sure that Elena was out of earshot before I leaned closer to Stefan. "I think this is a bad idea."

"Well, what did you want me to say?" He whispered back. We both reached in and started unloading bags. "'No, Damon. It will be awkward to have all of us confined in Caroline's dad's cabin because I killed your best friend and me, Juliet, and your ex-girlfriend are lying about it?"

My eyes practically bugged out of my head. "You told Elena that I killed Enzo?" I harshly whispered.

"No, I told Elena that _I_ killed Enzo," He corrected. "She asked about him and I figured it'd be better for her to know."

"Look, maybe we should just tell him," I suggested. "The _truth, _too. Maybe he'll go easier on me than on you."

"No, no," Stefan immediately protested. "That is a horrible idea."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I don't know if Damon would be able to hold it together. There's no telling what he could do. I don't want to relive the Ripper days, do you?" He asked.

I huffed, crossing my arms. "I'm sorry, you're right. I just don't know if I'll be able to look at him without spilling the truth. Damon helped me when no one else could."

"What?" Stefan asked.

Panic set up in my stomach. Uh-oh. Probably not a good idea to tell your boyfriend that you kissed his brother. It wasn't a romantic kiss, though! "What?" I asked.

"What did he help you with?" He asked as he reached into the car and grabbed one of Caroline's bags.

"Uh..." I stammered.

Thankfully, I was saved by my blonde best friend. "Good news!" Caroline sang as she ran over to us. "Us vampires don't have to be invited in!" She exclaimed cheerily as she stopped in front of us. The smile disappeared as she said, "Which is actually _super_ sad, if you think about it."

Right. Bill Forbes was dead, though I wasn't sure how. I'm sure it was in my diaries somewhere. This whole 'no memories' thing is really starting to get old.

Caroline could probably sense the tense air around Stefan and I, because she gestured between the two of us, "Am I interrupting something or...?"

"No!" I blurted quickly, which obviously made me look guilty. "We were just..."

"Unpacking!" Stefan finished. He reached down and grabbed two grocery bags on the ground. "We're unpacking. Here you go," He said to Caroline, handing her the bags.

Caroline sure looked confused, but she didn't say anything. "Thanks...?" She said, before turning around and walking back to the house.

Stefan and I both smiled at her as she walked back towards the house. I waited until she was safely inside before I sighed. "It's getting really hard be cool," I said.

"Hard to play it when you don't have any," Stefan joked, and that earned him a playful smack in the chest from me.

"You are not funny, you know that, right?" I told him as I grabbed my book bag. Hey, just because I was being chased down by the evil leader of my people didn't mean that I didn't want to pass my first year of college.

My Romeo and Juliet book fell out of my bag, and Stefan leaned down to pick it up before I could. "You're really reading this play?" He asked as he handed it to me.

"Don't judge. I know they were two stupid idiots who should have waited at least a week before even going out on a _date_, but I've always felt connected to the story," I started. "My mom named me after her. It always gave me hope that some day, I could have someone just as great as Romeo. Except maybe someone who doesn't jump to conclusions so quickly."

Stefan nodded, giving me a slight smile. "And have you?"

My answer was cut off by Caroline's voice. "You know, for a doppel-target and a witch tequila shot, you two seem to be taking this all in stride," She called out over to us from the porch of the house.

Stefan looked over to me, and I shrugged. He leaned down and grabbed the wine box that we had brought with us-not that I was going to be drinking. I couldn't believe it had taken me this long to discover that me and alcohol do not mix.

"Yeah, well, you know. A tribe of wannabe witches want to drain Jules, Elena, and me of our blood and, uh, eliminate supernatural beings," Stefan said as we walked towards the house. "I've had worse."

* * *

I dumped my laptop case and book bag on my bed, putting down my other suitcase. I had packed thinking I was going to be going on a summer getaway. It looked like Elena was going to be sharing her clothes with me.

I started packing away the normal clothes that I did bring. I felt like someone's eyes were on me the entire time I unpacked, and knowing that ghosts do, in fact, exist, there very well could be someone watching me. I just hoped it wasn't the someone that was plaguing my mind.

I had just opened my one of my drawers when a voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Jules?"

I jumped about a foot in the air, and spun around on my heel. I felt relief pour through me when I saw that it was only Damon, but then I started feeling guilt spread through my body. "Damon, hey."

"Someone is jumpy," He commented as he walked into the room. He held out the plate that he was carrying in his hands. "I made you a sandwich."

"Oh," I said, tossing the shirt in my hands on to the bed as I took the plate from him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to say I'm sorry about Enzo ripping into your juglar last night."

I managed a small smile, but it died when I realize that I should probably apologize for killing Enzo. "It's not your fault. And it shouldn't be you apologizing, it should be him."

"Don't worry," Damon said. "When I find him, I'll make him apologize to you." He nodded his head at me. "How are you feeling? You don't feel like combusting?"

I shook my head. "I feel pretty good today. Hopefully I won't tear a tree out of it's very roots today."

Damon smiled. "Good. I'm gonna go unpack, and you enjoy your sandwich." He turned around, throwing a, "Call me if you need me," Behind his back.

I looked back down at the plate in my hands.

_Enjoy your sandwich_.

Yeah, right.

* * *

It seemed like everyone was keeping secrets.

After I finished my sandwich (which tasted of guilt, by the way), I came into the kitchen to see Damon and Caroline talking all hush hush.

And then Stefan and Elena walked into the house, carrying firewood. And apparently, it takes two people to make one fire.

I tried not to let it bother me. I put my chin up and decided that tonight would be a good night.

And that was when Caroline suggested that we play Charades.

And Damon insisted on being my partner.

I wanted to say no, but I couldn't. But I insisted that Caroline be on our team too, just to make it a little less awkward. It was like every time that I looked at him there was a fake me standing behind him screaming, "I killed your best friend, I killed your best friend!"

I clearly needed professional help.

I tapped my foot to the beat of the music that was playing as Elena made big gestures that Stefan tried to guess. It took everything in my not to roll my eyes at Elena's victory dance when Stefan got the answer right.

I had resisted the alcohol all night, but when Elena and Stefan got past three points during charades, I poured myself just a little bit of alcohol. That being said, this was their fifth point, and I was pretty sure that I had finished an entire bottle by myself.

"Okay!" Damon said as Elena sat down. "Let's play a little game called Never Have I Ever," He suggested, scanning the room to see who was up for it.

"Ugh, I don't think I'm drunk enough," Elena moaned.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Caroline piped up, and I looked over to her with my eyebrows raised. When did _she _become Damon's little cheerleader? "I'll go first. Never have I ever...died."

"Cheers to that one," Damon said as he, Stefan, Elena, and Caroline took a drink. I was lucky enough to never have died. That was a good thing, right?

"Never have I ever had a rendezvous with Klaus Mikaelson," Damon said, looking over at Caroline and I.

I looked over to my blonde best friend. "He's got us there," I commented as we both took a drink.

"Oh!" Stefan said. "Never have I ever been...um, possessed by my evil doppelgänger," He finished, glancing over at Elena.

She blew air out of her lips. "Mean," She muttered, drinking from her glass. "Never have _I_ ever been fooled by my evil doppelgänger," She said, and everyone but Elena took a drink.

"Never have I ever..." Caroline thought. "Kissed a Salvatore brother."

I literally choked on my drink. I felt the burning sensation crawl up my throat as I tried coughing the liquid out of my lungs.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked, and I nodded, wiping at the tears that had formed at my eyes.

What was I supposed to do? Technically, I've kissed both Salvatore brothers.

Oh God, I've kissed _both_ Salvatore brothers.

Now that I think about it, I've kissed all my guy friends. Matt was my first kiss, because everyone made it such a big deal and I wanted it out of the way and with someone I trusted, Tyler and I got drunk once and had a makeout session before we were caught by Mason Lockwood, and now I've kissed Stefan and Damon.

Does that qualify me as a slut?

I fiddled with my fingers, but chose not to drink. What an awful way for a) our friends to find out that Stefan and I had been secretly dating, b) for my boyfriend to find out that I kissed his brother, and c) for my sister to find out that I kissed her ex-boyfriend.

Elena made a face at Caroline as she sat up to clink her glass with Caroline, since Caroline had dated Damon for like two seconds back when they first met, but Caroline changed her statement last second.

"Today."

Whew, that wouldn't make a liar then.

No one drank. Caroline gave Elena a pointed look, looking down at her glass. "So are you going to drink...?"

Things just got really awkward really fast.

Anger flashed in Elena's eyes as she stared at Caroline. "Are you implying something...?"

"Well," Stefan said as he leaned forward, obviously trying to fix the tension. "I'm going to get another round. Does anybody-"

"Never have I ever lied about where Enzo is," Damon spewed, and I felt my pulse skyrocket. I felt a little better when I saw Damon look over at Stefan and Elena, and not me.

"Okay, what is going on?" Caroline asked, obviously frustrated.

"Nothing, obviously, because nobody's drinking," Stefan said.

"Well, clearly, you know the rules of the game, right brother?" Damon asked, looking at Stefan. "If you lied, you drink."

"Oh, no, I understand the rules," Stefan defended.

"This just got weird," Elena said, stating the obvious. She set her glass down. "I'm officially buzzed, so I'm gonna go-" she pointed behind her where the stairs led upstairs. "Get ready for bed."

I nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm going to go finish my essay," I said, setting my own glass down and standing up. I could feel everyone's gaze on me as I left the room, and I tried not falling up the stairs as I climbed them.

I was a relief to get into my room. I pulled on a pair of Spongebob pajama shorts, and a plain pink t-shirt as I pulled out my laptop.

I had managed to get a bit of work done when I realized that it was pointless. I couldn't focus. There was so much going on around me that doing my English essay seemed like a good escape, but when I started the essay, I was too focused on what was going on in my life.

I growled as I powered down my laptop, pushing it away from me. I decided that the one thing that always kept me distracted was exactly what I needed right now.

A snack.

I pushed the blankets off of me as I slipped out of bed. I put on a pair of slippers as I made my way downstairs. I stopped when I saw Stefan on the phone.

I walked over to him so that I was standing in front of him. "Who are you talking to?" I mouthed.

"Bonnie," He mouthed back. When the other line picked up, Stefan said, "Well, it's not exactly a relaxing getaway. Listen. Are things getting worse on the Other Side?"

"_Why_?" Bonnie asked.

"Because something attacked Elena. Is it possible that someone over there could physically affect this plane?" He questioned.

What? Something attacked Elena?

If it was a ghost, I had one guess.

"_Actually, yeah. My Grams knocked a lamp right off of my desk today. I doubt it's easy, but if someone were emotional enough..."_

Stefan and I shared a look. "Enzo," We both breathed.

"Enzo's dead?" A new voice said, and Stefan stepped out of the way to reveal that it was Caroline who spoke.

He hung up the phone, and the two of us looked at each other. I gave Stefan a look that told him that I wanted to take the blame. I opened my mouth. "Yeah. I-"

"I killed him," Stefan cut in, throwing a glance at me.

Caroline huffed. "Well, my powers of deduction really suck." She looked over at me. "You knew too?"

I nodded. "I was there. I saw it happen."

"And why didn't you two say anything?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Because it's complicated," Stefan defended.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, Damon walked in. "Enter the complication. Enzo's dead. You killed him. Elena told me."

I gave Stefan a look. "This is exactly why we can't trust Elena with anything," I hissed at him.

"So _you _didn't know either?" Caroline asked.

"Nope," Damon answered with a slightly angered tone.

"And their secret really _was_ about Enzo," Caroline realized, playing with her hands.

"Yep," Damon said in the same tone.

"You guys think we can talk about this some other time?" Stefan asked.

"By all means, brother," Damon said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "At your convenience."

"Listen, bitch at us all you want later," I cut in. "Right now, it seems like Enzo is playing Casper. The Other Side is being torn apart and something about it is allowing Enzo to mess with us."

"Enzo!" Damon shouted, walking around the room. "You in here? 'Cause _knock it off!_"

"You said that Enzo attacked Elena, right?" I asked Stefan. When he nodded, I continued. "But that doesn't make any sense. Elena's a vampire, Enzo had to have known that drowning her would never work in _actually_ killing her. Maybe he's just trying to freak us out."

"Drowning Elena was just a distraction," Damon concluded. "He figured out a way to kill us all in one, fell swoop."

Damon immediately ran for the door, with Stefan, Caroline, and I hot on his heels.

"Oh, _crap_," He scowled when he looked outside.

I had to move around him to see what the big deal was, and I saw that Luke Parker (who was our human Invisibility Cloak) was no longer doing his job.

Because he wasn't there anymore.

"Where's Luke?" Stefan asked.

"Who knows?" Damon responded. "But we better find him before the Travelers find us."

* * *

I didn't want to go with Caroline and Elena, since I knew that there would be awkward tension there because of what Caroline had accused Elena of earlier, so I opted to going with the Salvatore brothers.

Whom I've both kissed.

Oh, boy.

I fought the chill in the air as I wrapped my jacket tighter around me. I didn't have enough time to at least change my pants, so I was still in my shorts, and I could literally feel each goosebump forming on my skin.

"You need to know why I lied to you," Stefan started as we looked for Luke.

"Nope, I don't," Damon said, putting his hand up to stop his brother from continuing.

"Damon, come on," Stefan pleaded.

Damon spun on his heel. "Let's just cut to the chase, Stefan, because I'm not in a 'hash out our differences' kind of mood. _Yes_, I'm pissed that you killed Enzo," He hissed. "I'm even more pissed that you two, that you _three_," a glare in my direction "lied to me about it. You know what, Stefan? If it was me and I was in your shoes, I would have done it, too, except I would have done it months ago. the fact that you took this long-"

"He was your friend," Stefan cut in.

Damon hesitated. "Yes, Stefan, he _was_ my friend. Which is why I, above anyone else, should have known that he was dead. Let's just find the stupid witch."

Guilt poured all over me as if someone had dumped a whole bucket of it over my head. I was the reason that Enzo was dead, not Stefan, no matter how badly Stefan tried to deny it. I made this wrong, now I had to right it.

But I had to push that task aside for later. Because if we didn't find Luke and get him to start the spell as soon as possible, I won't be around to right that wrong.

* * *

When we got further into the woods, Damon opened his mouth. "What'd you think I was gonna do?"

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"When I found out Enzo was dead?" He clarified. "Did you think I was gonna go on a rampage, slaughter a bunch of innocent people, go bowling with human heads? What'd you think I was gonna do?"

Stefan hesitated. "Hate me. I thought you would, uh, hate me."

I wanted to bang my head against a tree. I'm the reason that that happened! I wanted to scream it from the rooftops. Just not right this second.

"You hear that?" Damon asked Stefan. Of course, I couldn't hear it because I didn't have vampire hearing (vampires get to have all the fun).

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "Come on."

I followed the brothers until we got to a shed, and Stefan opened the door. We all got in, and Luke was unconscious and tied to a leg of a table. I fell down next to him and went to work on the ties as Stefan checked his pulse.

"He's barely breathing," Stefan informed us.

"Why the hell would Enzp dump him here?" Damon asked.

"I don't know," I answered as I picked at the rope. "He was your best friend, you should know. Think about how Enzo thinks."

Damon inhaled deeply, and looked over to us. "You smell that?"

I had to sniff the air a couple of times, but the faint smell of gasoline eventually came into my nose. Gasoline?

I followed where the smell was coming from, and found an empty bottle of gasoline sitting in the cabin. Suddenly, the lamp above it was pulled, and it went crashing to the ground, immediately starting a fire. It was enhanced by the gasoline, and the flames spread quickly throughout the very _wooden_ cabin.

Stefan started helping me with the ties as Damon said, "Grab him, let's go."

Suddenly, there was a groan coming from Stefan, and I screamed when I looked over and saw a the tip of a bloody wooden stake bursting out from his stomach.

"Dick move, Enzo!" Damon exclaimed.

Stefan shakily stood up, and nodded at me to keep going at Luke's restraints. It was _hard_. Enzo clearly knew his knots. Also, as the fire got bigger and bigger, so did the smoke. I tried to breath through my jacket, but I needed both hands to undo the knot. Eventually, I let go of my jacket and breathed in the smoke as I worked away at the ties.

The wooden pane above us gave out, separating Stefan and me from Damon. Damon was suddenly pushed against the door against an invisible force and stabbed in the stomach with a large chunk of wood.

"If only this wasn't totally avoidable!" Damon groaned through gritted teeth.

"Oh, really? Now you're doing, 'I told you so'?" Stefan groaned, clutching the bloody stake harder.

"Is this really the time for all of this?!" I exclaimed as I looked between the two brothers. It was like they were both five years old! I hadn't spoken too much, and now that I did, I accidentally took in a lungful of air on instinct, and fell into a fit of coughs. It got so bad that I started tearing up, but I didn't let it stop me.

"This isn't gonna stop, Stefan," Damon said. "I killed his girl, you killed him. This is not gonna stop." Damon looked ahead of him, as if he could see Enzo's face. "You listening to me, Enzo?"

At his words, Enzo shoves the stake harder into Damon, who grunts in pain. "Is that a yes or a no? Because I can bring you back. Bonnie came back, Markos came back. I'll find a way, but this has to stop. How do you think you're able to do all this stuff, huh? The Other Side's falling apart, Enzo, so you can either help me, or you can blink out of existence. It's your choice."

Stefan finally gets the pole out of his stomach as I finally get the knot untied. "Go, get Luke and get out of here," Damon groaned. "Luke is the only one that can hide you, Jules, and Elena."

Stefan hesitated for a second, looking around at the burning shed. I could tell that he didn't want to leave Damon like this, but he had no choice.

"Stefan! Go, _now_!" Damon shouted.

Stefan and I helped Luke, who had started to regain consciousness, up. Stefan and I were able to drag Luke out of the shed, with a little assistance on Luke's part. Luke and I were coughing out the smoke from our lungs, but the further we got from the shed the better we both felt.

Once we got inside, I left Luke with Stefan so I could get a glass of water. I had about three, and felt a little bit better. Then, Damon told me that we were leaving, so I went and packed all of my stuff, but not before changing into something a lot warmer.

I brought my bags outside, and saw Damon loading the car. I set my bags down beside the car, and took a deep breath. _Here goes nothing_. "Can I talk to you?"

"I won't stop you," He said as he threw my suitcase into the car.

I steeled myself. "It wasn't Stefan that killed Enzo."

Damon literally froze, his arm halfway extended. He turned to face me. "What?"

"I killed him," I continued. "Just, hear me out first before you start screaming. When you went after Elena, Enzo went after Stefan. I don't know what happened before I got there, but when I did get there, I saw Stefan leaning against a car, a pool of gasoline surrounding him, and Enzo standing above him holding a lighter. So, I used my magic to pull Enzo away from Stefan. But I didn't see that Stefan had his hand around Enzo's heart, so when I pulled Enzo back, I sort of ripped his heart out of his chest. It was completely and totally an accident, but it was also completely and totally my fault."

Damon was quiet for a really long time. "Why did Stefan say he killed Enzo?" He finally asked.

"He thought that you'd go easier on him than on me, and I actually believed it," I said. "But after seeing the way you acted today, it would have made everything so much simpler if I had just told you that I did it in the beginning." I looked down at my hands. "I know these words mean totally nothing, but," I looked back up at him. "I'm sorry, Damon. I'm sorry that I killed your best friend and lied to you about it. I don't expect forgiveness for killing him or lying, but forgive Stefan. It wasn't his fault."

I turned around to leave, but I was stopped when there was a hand on my arm. I turned my head, and saw Damon holding on to my arm. He tugged me towards him, and wrapped me up into a hug.

"I forgive you," He said. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

I felt relief course through me as I wrapped my arms around him.

"But why tell me now?" He asked, pulling back.

I rolled my eyes. "Because you are probably going to end up being my brother in law," I answered. Either through Elena's marriage to him (if they even get married) or my marriage to Stefan (and who knows if that'll happen). "I don't want there to be any bad blood there. And, I don't want to be the one that brings your relationship with Stefan down further than it already is."

He nodded, and let my arm go. I pointed back at the house. "I think I forgot my phone inside, I'll be right out."

I turned and started walking away. Elena brushed past me as I went inside, and I assumed she went to go talk to Damon. I went into my room, and found my phone on the side table. I swiped it, and ran back outside to join my friends and get the hell out of here.

Except when I got outside, I heard chanting.

As Damon so cleverly called it, it was the theme song of the Travelers.

I spun on my heel to run back into the house, and I opened my mouth to scream out for help. Unfortunately, before I could do either thing, a strong hand grabbed my upper arm harshly, spinning me around to face him.

And I was staring into the eyes of our leader, Markos.

"You've caused a lot of problems for me, Christos," Markos hissed, and before I could scream for Stefan, or even for Damon, he put two fingers to my head, and muttered a spell.

Instantly, I started dizzying, and no matter how hard I fought for consciousness, I felt my very essence slip away as I closed my eyes and swayed into Markos's waiting arms, dead to the world.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Sorry for the semi-late update! Hopefully I can be done season 5 next week and start season 6. I have a four day weekend coming up next week, so I'll most definitely get it done then. And if not, you can all coming running at me with pitchforks.**

**I mean, it's only three more episodes. How hard could it really be?**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	21. Promised Land

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:**

"Hopefully I can get season 5 done next week."

"I have a four day weekend coming up, so I'll most definitely get it done then."

"I mean, it's only three more episodes. How hard could it really be?"

Famous. Last. Words.

Bring on the pitchforks, guys.

Ia so sorry for the late update, school is becoming more time consuming.

Anyways! Here's the next chapter!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

My head literally pounded as I began to slip back into consciousness. My eyes peaked open slightly, and when I saw only darkness, I let my eyes open fully.

I looked around myself, and saw that I was in a cell of some sort. I brought my hand up to rub my forehead, but it was stopped halfway to my head. My eyes traveled down, and I saw chains wrapped securely around my wrist. I pulled my other wrist in front of me, and saw that it was chained too.

Panic bubbled up in my stomach as I looked around me. I tried tugging on the chains, but they wouldn't give away. I still had only human strength.

I looked down at the lock in the chains, and scanned my brain for an unlocking spell. "_Recludam_," I breathed, focusing all of my magic on to the lock. I growled in frustration when it didn't work. "_Recludam_," I said, a bit more sternly, though the action damaged my already aching throat. It still didn't work. "_Recludam_!" I tried again, wincing at the pain in my throat.

The iron door creaked open, and I shut my eyes at the harsh light. I eventually open them again, and I press myself against the wall when I see Markos, a plate in his hand.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked, tugging at the chains.

Markos shook his head. "Oh, you won't be able to undo those locks. They're spelled so that no spell can unlock it. Only the key will do that job, and, what do you know, you don't have the key."

"Just let me go," I whispered.

"What, you don't want to help your people?" Markos asked as he walked closer to me. "You don't want to be able to be with your own people in one spot?"

"You're not my people," I spat.

Markos set down the plate next to me, and there was a sandwich sitting on top of it. "You should consider yourself lucky. Because you are a Traveler, and the only Christos one at that, we are trying to be nice to you. On the other hand, your friends are currently being drained of their blood, very painfully." He leaned over me. "Have something to eat."

"How do I know you didn't poison it?" I growled.

Markos shrugged. "We need you alive, Eumelia. Now, you can eat the sandwich, or you could ignore it. Either way, that's not why I'm here."

I was about to ask him why when I saw him take out a needle from inside of his jacket. "Markos, whatever you're about to do, don't you dare-"

I was cut off by Markos harshly grabbing the back of my head, tilting my head back, and jabbing the needle into my neck. I thrashed as much as I could as I screamed, but nothing worked as the needle filled right up with my blood that he drew. Markos let go of my hair, and I pulled my head back so fast that I smashed it against the wall. I groaned at the instantly dizzying pain.

"That'll do for now," Markos said as he examined the blood. "The good thing for you is that your blood is so powerful that we don't need it by the bucketful. A needleful every hour should do it."

"Please, don't," I groaned as I felt the blood from the hole in my neck trickle down the front of my shirt.

Markos reached into his outside pocket and produced a small vial of blood. He took the cap off, grabbed my chin forcefully, and shoved the contents into my mouth.

I gagged on the metallic taste as it went down my throat. Instantly, the wound closed up.

"Now, you might need your strength, so I'd recommend eating the sandwich," Markos smirked as he turned around and left, shutting the door behind him.

Tears pooled my eyes and slipped down my cheeks. I was so frustrated, so angry, and I needed to get it out of my system. I couldn't help it.

I started screaming.

* * *

I didn't know how long that went on for. When I wasn't screaming, I was sleeping, and when I wasn't sleeping, I was screaming. I was honestly hoping that they'd get so fed up with my screaming that they'd just think that I wasn't worth blasting out their eardrums and free me.

But it never happened.

At least I had a method of counting time. Markos had people come into my cell every hour to take another round of blood from me. I used my own blood to mark how many hours on the ground beside me, and so far, it had been nearly 90 hours.

I wanted to refuse the food, I really did. But the tiny vial of vampire blood I was fed after I had blood drawn from me wasn't enough to actually keep me alive. So I gave in and ate.

The Travelers that came to collect my blood never looked me in the eyes as they grabbed my head and took blood directly from my neck. That didn't stop me from trying to guilt them, though. I couldn't believe that they could just sit there and harm one of their own.

Well, then again, I threatened Sloan's life, so maybe I shouldn't be one to talk. But I was being held captive, cut me a little slack.

The door opened again, and by my count, it was the 96th hour. I was so exhausted from sleeping and being poked at for the past four days, that I didn't even bother turning my head to look at who had come to stick me with a needle this time.

I refused to even look at the person. They grabbed my hands, and I heard a faint 'click' sound. I looked over at the person, and saw that it was a women, and she was unlocking my chains.

"Who are you?" I asked hoarsly as she unlocked the second one.

"It doesn't matter," She said hastily. "Go, save your friends." She grabbed my arm and hoisted me up so that I was leaning against the wall for support, and when I blinked, she was gone.

I gave myself five seconds to regain my strength. And after those five seconds, I pushed myself away from the wall and strode out the door with a purpose.

There were a few Travelers standing outside when I got out, and they all turned to incapacitate me. Unfortunately for them, I was the only Christos Traveler left on the Earth. And despite the whole 'you could die from this' thing, I felt pretty damn powerful.

I made a gesture to push them away from me, and all the Travelers flew away from me, banging into the wall and going unconscious, or dead, but it didn't matter.

I clenched my hands into fists as I felt the magic that had been denied for the past four days stream throughout my body. I could feel the power tingling everywhere, especially in my fingertips.

I assumed that word had gotten out that the Christos Traveler had broken out of her cell, because instead of four like before, there were about fifteen of them.

And I took them out with just a flick of my wrist.

As much as I wanted to torture every one of them just as they had tortured the people I loved, there was no time for that. I ran as fast as I could, and skidded to a stop when I came to Stefan's cell.

I quickly opened the door, and ran over to his side. He was laying flat on the table in the middle of the room, covered in a sheen of sweat. His bloody hands lead a pathway down to the bucket of his blood that was filling up by the second.

He turned his lead slightly to see who it was, and his eyes widened when he saw it was me. "Juliet?" He whispered.

"You know it, baby," I whispered back, though it pained my throat to do so. I quickly kissed his forehead and put my hands on the lock that binded him to the table. "_Recludam_," I incantated, and the lock was opened. I pulled open the cuff, and leaned over and did the same thing to the other one.

I grabbed his shoulder, and helped him sit up. "How did you get out?" He asked.

"Never mind that," I said as he jumped off of the table. "Right now, we have to get Elena and get the hell out of here."

Stefan had a little bit of strength, so he was walking a little slowly as I blasted every Traveler that got in our way back. We eventually found Elena's cell, and we opened the door, walking in.

My poor sister. She weakly opened her eyes as she saw the two of us approach. I moved in front of Stefan so that I could get to Elena first. I caressed her face, looking her in the eyes.

"Jules?" She murmured.

"Yeah, it's me," I whispered. "You have to stay awake, Elena."

She didn't listen. She was already passed out in my arms.

* * *

We eventually did escape, and Stefan found a payphone to call Damon. Elena went to go hunt, so I sat down on the ground beside Stefan. Using so much of my magic all at once...it had taken a lot out of me. Now I was dirty, hungry, tired, _and _physically drained.

Plus, my throat still hurt like a bitch.

It couldn't get any worse, could it?

"Yeah, well, you know what could've saved you the cost of this phone call? You finding us! How long have we been gone?" Stefan paused, listening for an answer. "_Four_ days? Four days and you couldn't track us down? What'd you think, we were having a nice spa getaway?"

It was really a miracle that Damon could even get things done.

"Travelers drained Elena and I of our blood and took needlefuls of Jules's. Elena and I have had to do a little bit of hunting." He listened to the other line. "Believe me, she's no happier about it than I am."

"What about me?" I asked softly so I wouldn't irritate my throat. "Human's don't drink animal blood!"

"We'll worry about you in a second, okay?" Stefan said, patting my shoulder. He went back to the call. "Do you want to talk to her, or are you still pretending that you don't want to hear her voice?" Another pause. "I have no idea where we are. We're in the middle of nowhere. Listen, we'll make our way back, but Markos drained most of all our blood-and considering the kinds of spells he was able to do with just a little of it..." He sighed. "Jules and I will get her home safely, all right?"

* * *

"Okay, we're _all _tired," Elena started.

"Yeah, we know," Stefan replied.

"And I know that we've _all _had our blood drained," She went on.

"We know," Stefan said.

"But why is _Jules_ the one that gets to be carried?"

"_Because_," I started as Stefan adjusted me on his back. Ugh, I still sounded like an ugly old man. "Stefan _clearly_ likes me better."

"Ha ha," Elena said. "Now what's the real reason?"

I shrugged. "Maybe because I busted my ass saving all three of us, and magic takes so much out of someone? And I stand by the fact that Stefan likes me better."

"She's right," Stefan said, and he looked back at me. "But could you walk for a little now? I'm getting tired."

I rolled my eyes, but slid off of his back. Then, the three of us proceeded to stick our thumbs out, hoping that we get seen by a car on this stupid highway. A truck eventually did come by, but it passed us.

"Thanks for nothing, BITCH!" I yelled after the car, but it just made my throat hurt even _more_.

"God, I feel like an idiot," Elena groaned as we kept walking.

"Uh, that's because you _are_ one," I stated matter-of-factly, though it came out more like a gurgle.

She nudged me in the shoulder, hard. "Shut up, Julie." She looked over to Stefan. "Do that thing again. The vamp thing."

Stefan groaned. "Oh, no. I don't want to do that. Come on, you know that's embarrassing."

"It's a good embarrassing," I supported.

"Come on! It's the only thing keeping me sane right now," Elena pressed.

Stefan sighed, caught. "Fine," He said. He braced himself, and then tried to run using his vampire speed. He only got a few feet before he stopped, losing his strength.

"It was funnier the first time," Elena stated, and I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, well, you two were delirious the first time."

"True," I said as I walked.

"How many, um," Elena cleared her throat. "...you know, are we supposed to have until we get our strength back?"

"More than we've had, that's for sure," Stefan responded. "Let me know if you see a damn buffalo."

"This is just depressing," Elena sighed.

"Yeah. More depressing than walking for miles and not knowing where the hell you're going?" Stefan asked.

"That's probably not more depressing than that," I said.

Stefan decided to change the subject. "Damon is in full hero mode today."

"I'm sure he was thrilled about that," Elena said sarcastically.

"I don't know...he had the whole 'saviour of the universe' voice going on," Stefan brought up.

"I like that voice," Elena smiled, but she stopped. "You know, I think this is all a sign."

"A sign of what?" I inquired.

"My blood can literally destroy him," Elena began. "If that's not a sign that we're in a toxic relationship..."

Stefan cut her off. "Our blood. Alright? _Our_ blood. Don't hog the blame. Look, you and I are vampires; we're a toxic species. Whether you want to blame it on magic or biology, it's just who we are. When a human gets ravenously hungry, they eat a double cheeseburger. We kill people. And some of us are more extreme than others, but that's just who we are."

"Stefan, can we not with the talk of food?" I asked as I felt my stomach rumble. That sandwich was all the food I had had for the past four days.

"Sorry," Stefan said with a small smile directed at me.

"How come you are so much better at controlling it?" Elena asked.

"Because I'm so much worse when I don't." He stopped walking, and turned to face her. "I'm only going to say this once. You two are miserable without each other. So, if you want to be with him, just be with him. Look, when humans want to break free from complicated relationships, they go to therapy. Vampires get a pass. Okay?"

Elena got a hint of a smile on her face, and Stefan glanced over at me for just a second and gave me a sweet smile. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"I think I just hallucinated a unicorn," Elena said after a few more hours of walking.

I smirked. "Who knows, maybe this is the Universe telling us that Caroline's nearby."

Elena laughed. "That's funny. You know, when we were younger, I couldn't decide what was more annoying: her control-freakiness, or her delusional positivity. Right now, honestly, there isn't a single person I wish was here more."

"Hey, I actually _love_ the control-freakiness _and_ her delusional positivity," I said. I was always closer with Caroline, and Elena was always closer with Bonnie.

"Yeah, the control-freakiness never bugged me," Stefan agreed.

"Yeah, but _you_ didn't have to build a barbie castle with her in the second grade," Elena said to Stefan.

"To be fair, it was a fabulous ass barbie castle," I defended my blonde best friend.

"That's true, I didn't have to make a barbie castle with her," Stefan started. "But I do know this. If Caroline Forbes were here right on, we would all be laughing."

"We are so pathetic," Elena stated.

"Please keep me out of that _we_," I begged.

Elena rolled her eyes. "You know what? Let's put on our best Caroline Forbes hat, shall we?"

She stopped walking, and held her arms out high in the air. "Alright, Universe! Enough screwing around! We're ready for the good stuff! Theme dance, or block party, maybe?"

Suddenly, the sound of tires on pavement started, and became louder and louder. A car was coming from behind Elena.

Stefan smiled. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

"What?!" Elena asked eagerly, and she spun around. She broke out into a huge smile as she saw the car.

Stefan stuck his thumb out to ask for a ride, but Elena quickly grabbed his arm and pulled it down. "Wait!" She said. She pulled her shirt down to expose more of her cleavage, and she ran her fingers through her hair. She flipped her hair, and turned around, throwing her jacket over her shoulder as she stuck her thumb out.

What the hell? That was _not_ something I wanted to see my sister doing.

But the car actually _stopped_.

"See?" Elena said as she started to approach the car.

Stefan and I just stood there. I looked over at him. "My sister is a tramp."

Stefan shrugged. "At least we know where she gets it from. Remember when we tried to get information out of Aaron Whitmore?"

I cringed as I remembered myself doing the exact same thing. "Just shut up," I said as I playfully pushed Stefan.

He just laughed as he wrapped his arm around me. He checked to see if Elena was looking, and when he realized she wasn't, he planted a quick kiss against my temple. I couldn't hold back my smile as we walked towards the car.

"Hi-" Elena started when she got to the driver's side, but she quickly cut herself off. I wondered why, but I got my answer when we saw that it was a woman sitting in the car. "Oh..._not_ what I was expecting."

Stefan moved Elena out of the way. "All right, let's just cut to the chase." He leaned forward and tried compelling the woman. "You're giving us a ride."

She stared at him blankly. "You're trying to _compel_ me?" I took notice of the vervain that she was wearing around her wrist. "Who do you think set Little Miss Christos free to wreck havoc and save you guys?"

Stefan looked back over at Elena and I, and the woman in the car just shook her head and scoffed. "Get in, they're coming for you."

* * *

Since there wasn't a lot of room in the pick up, I volunteered to sit in the back. After being locked in a dark room for four days, the fresh air and wind would do me some good.

I actually had managed to doze off when about an hour later the truck came to a harsh stop. I would have flown right out of the car if I hadn't grabbed the sides of the truck. I was too busy trying to regain my breath to notice that there was someone standing right in front of me as the truck went into reverse.

It was Luke.

And that could only mean one thing.

I quickly spun around and stood up, looking forward. And in front of the car was Liv.

Ugh, shit.

The truck came to another abrupt stop, and that caused me to lose my footing and go flailing out of the back. I braced myself for the impact of hitting the ground, and I groaned in pain when I finally did hit the ground. The car moved forward again when Luke pushed it with his magic, and the car came to a bone crushing stop, completely totaling it.

I had no time to waste, though. I stood up, ignoring the blood that was trickling down my forehead. I looked over at the driver's side, and cringed when I saw the pretty mangled up body of the woman who had rescued us. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked away as Stefan and Elena came piling out of the car after the accident.

Stefan was the first one out, and Liv and Luke use their magic to fling him against the car.

"Hey!" I protested, and I was about to lift my hand when Luke caught me in a binding spell, preventing me from moving.

Elena surged forward to try and help us, but Liv snapped Elena's leg using her magic. Elena cried out and fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I really _am_," Liv said. "We need to make the doppelganger blood useless. One of you needs to die."

Liv snapped the arm that Elena was using to support herself on the ground, and Elena screamed in pain as she collapsed on to the ground. "It doesn't matter which one, really," Liv continued.

Stefan tried coming to our aid, and Luke let go of his control over me to push Stefan back.

At last! Freedom!

I actually didn't get to taste freedom for long because Liv broke my left ankle, sending me flailing to the ground. I groaned again when I hit the hard concrete.

What was it with people and breaking my bones?!

So not _only_ was I hungry, physically drained, sleepy, and had a scratchy-ass voice, my ankle was broken!

Why can I never catch a break?

"Do it! Liv, come on!" Luke pressed his sister.

Liv looked at Elena. "No hard feelings. I'm just following our coven's orders."

Liv hit Elena with a whole new wave of pain, and Elena looked like she couldn't take much more before she was finally finished. By some miracle, though, Stefan was able to push through Luke's restraints and break himself free.

Luke tried using his magic to restrain Stefan again, but it didn't work. I looked over at Liv, and saw that she had lost her hold over Elena.

I grabbed whatever was left of the wreckage of the pickup and hauled myself up. It hurt at first to be on my ankle, but I forced myself to ignore the pain.

"Liv!" Luke panicked, thrusting his hand forward to try and sap out any magic. "Liv! What's happening?"

"Oh, no..." Liv grimaced.

Elena regained her strength, and she grabbed Liv forcefully. "Your magic sputter out?" She growled.

"Luke, it's started!" Liv warned to her brother. "The spell's started."

Elena shook Liv, hard. "We _trusted_ you!"

"It doesn't matter," Liv dismissed. "You're going to be _dead_ any second!"

Stefan charged for Luke, but he faltered in his steps as he groaned in pain. I looked over at him, and his skin was literally sizzling as it glowed red. The same thing was happening to Elena.

Their Daylight rings.

"Elena!" Stefan called to her.

"Stefan, our rings aren't working!" She cried.

"Go! Get inside!" I said, frantically pointing at the Mystic Grill.

They ran at a surprisingly human pace, but I was still at the disadvantage of my broken ankle as I trailed behind them. I tried keeping up as best as I could, and it was a huge relief when we made it to the safety of the Grill.

The first thing that I saw when I walked in was Matt, who dropped everything that he was doing and ran right over to us. "Hey! What happened?"

"Their rings stopped working," I groaned as I grabbed on to Matt, who supported me. Thankfully, Stefan and Elena's faces went back to normal. "They started burning in the sun."

"What happened to you?" He asked.

"That Liv bitch broke my ankle," I seethed. "She is going to _get it_ from me!"

"The whole town's square's filled with Travelers. We've got to get out of here," Stefan explained.

"The tunnels!" Matt exclaimed. "In the stockroom! Come on, let's go."

Matt positioned me so that I had one arm slung around his shoulders and he was supporting my back so that I could run better. We got to the tunnels, and Matt switched on a flashlight so we could see.

We were only running for a few seconds when Elena stopped short. I turned around to see why she wasn't running anymore, and it was because she was starting to cough up water that was seemingly endless as she struggled to breathe.

"Elena!" Matt cried.

Stefan moved to try and move her along, but then he groaned in pain and staggered backward as he gasped loudly. He put his hand to his stomach, and it came back stained with blood.

"Stefan!" I shouted, and I moved to help him, but Matt held me back.

"What's happening?" Matt asked me.

"The spell's started, they're undoing spirit magic," I explained breathlessly. "Spirit magic was what brought Elena and Stefan back from the dead, it was the only thing keeping them alive. We have to get them out of Mystic Falls _now_!"

I ignored the pain I felt in my ankle as I put weight on it, pulling away from Matt. "Matt, you grab Stefan, I'll grab Elena."

Matt supported Stefan, and I supported Elena as we continued to drag them out of the tunnels. We _had_ to hurry and get them out of Mystic Falls. If we didn't...then everything that mattered in my life-all my friends, my _family_-they would all disappear.

* * *

We found a car, and managed to make it to Whitmore, where we were going to wait on Bonnie and Caroline, who were packing up our dorm so that we can get out of here.

I mean, technically _I_ could still stay, but what kind of friend would I be if I did that?

Matt had handed Stefan and Elena all the blood bags that he could get his hands on, but between the four vampires, it wasn't going to last them long.

Elena fed me some of her blood when she was feeling better, to help heal my broken ankle. As a bonus, my throat was starting to feel a whole lot better too. I might just need a cup of tea to help.

I was already starting to feel better when Damon and Jeremy pulled up in their car.

Elena and I ran over to Jeremy immediately. Elena just asked if Jeremy was okay, but I threw my arms around my little brother in the tightest hug I could manage. I already lost one brother, I wasn't prepared to lose another.

I pulled away from Jeremy, and when I looked back over to Damon and Elena, they were locked in an intense makeout session. Okay, maybe I was over exaggerating, but those two seriously needed to get a room.

Stefan and I exchanged looks, and we were both really happy for our siblings. Damon and Elena had each other, and Stefan and I have each other. Everyone was happy.

Damon and Elena pulled back, and the first thing that Damon asked was, "What was that for?"

Elena smirked. "I had a crappy day, and I needed it. I thought I was never going to see you again and I couldn't think of a worse way to die."

"Well, I guess today is your lucky day," Damon said.

Stefan then spoke up. "Jeremy, head back with Matt. We need eyes and ears in Mystic Falls." He nodded at Damon and Elena. "You guys take Jeremy's car. Jules and I will wait here for Caroline and Bonnie."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed, and I walked back over to where Stefan was standing.

"See you in a few hours, Jer," Elena said to him. "I'll call you and Jules to check in on you."

"Be careful," Jeremy said to Elena and me.

"You be careful too, Jer," I said. "Okay?"

He nodded, and we gave each other one last hug before he and Matt piled into their car. I gave Elena another hug, and I surprised everyone when I gave Damon a hug, too.

"Be careful, okay?" I whispered in his ear. "And for the love of God, don't let my sister die."

"I promise to do both," Damon whispered back, and we pulled away from each other. I patted Damon's shoulder, and he gave me a playful punch on the arm.

I really think we're getting somewhere.

Damon and Elena piled into their car, and everyone drove off, leaving Stefan and I. I turned around, and walked right into his waiting arms.

"What a _day_," I huffed as I snuggled in real close.

Stefan and I eventually had to separate when Caroline showed up, but we still stood as close to each other as we dared.

All my friends were staring death in the face. I was so terrified for them. I didn't want anybody to die.

Stefan, Caroline, and I were all waiting for Bonnie to show up now. Truth be told, I just wanted to curl up in Stefan's lap and let him play with my hair as he reassures me that everything will be all right.

But Caroline was here, and we were waiting until everything is fixed to let our friends know that we're together.

You know what? No. We could very well die in the next twenty four hours, and if I only had twenty four hours left on this Earth with Stefan Salvatore, I was not wasting a second.

Caroline left to take a bathroom break, but not before huffing, "Where's Bonnie? She was _right_ behind me."

Once she was safely out of ear shot, I turned to Stefan. "We almost died today."

He nodded. "I know."

"We almost _died_, as liars," I pointed out.

Stefan gave me a funny look. "Where exactly are you going with this?"

I sighed. "Stefan, I might only have twenty four hours, or twelve hours, or one hour, or two minutes left on this Earth with you, and I don't want to spend them hiding the fact that we are in a relationship and that we-" I choked on the last word.

Stefan suddenly grew very serious. "That we...?" He trailed off.

What was I _doing_? We discussed the "L" word before, but was this _really_ the best time to tell him that I loved him?

You know what?

It was.

"I don't know about you, Stefan," I started, my heart literally pounding as I felt my blood pound in my ears. I could feel the winds suddenly picking up in tune with my nervousness. "But I love you. _I love you_. It's been true for so long and I feel like this is absolutely the worst time to tell you but...I love you. I-"

I was suddenly cut off by Stefan slamming his lips on to mine. We kissed for what seemed like a century, and when he finally pulled away, he had the biggest grin on his face as he said four words that pretty much stopped my heart, "I love you, too."

How many times had I fantasized this moment before? The moment that Stefan Salvatore said that he loved me. _Me_, Juliet Gilbert.

And hearing it now? I almost couldn't believe it.

I grew a huge smile of my own, and we were about to start kissing again when someone cleared their throat.

In fear that it was Caroline, we both immediately broke apart, but it was just Tyler. Or, the guy who was apparently possessing Tyler, Julian.

"Sorry for interrupting the moment," Julian said as he gestured between Stefan and me. "But I'm looking for Maria. I heard she brought you back to Mystic Falls."

Stefan and I immediately looked to each other, our stomach's sinking. The woman who had brought us back to Mystic Falls was _dead_.

Stefan hesitated, but he eventually answered, "Uh..yeah, she did."

"Did she tell you where she was headed?" He asked. "'Cause she can't stay here. The town's completely overrun."

Stefan and I looked away from each other, and looked everywhere but Julian. How were we supposed to tell him that Maria was dead?

"What's the problem?" He asked. "Did she tell you where she was headed, or not?"

"Listen...uh," Stefan sighed. "You're not gonna see Maria again."

"What are you talking about?" Julian asked.

Stefan stepped forward, and, just as a precaution, I had my magic at the ready to hold Julian back in case he tried to pull something. Hybrids were a _lot_ stronger than normal vampires, even one of Stefan's age. "She's dead," Stefan told him. He reached out to put his hand on Julian's shoulder. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't touch me!" Julian snapped, sidestepping Stefan.

"It wasn't our fault, we're sorry," I tried, but Julian wasn't ready to listen.

"Not your _fault_?" Julian repeated. "She _saved_ your punk asses!"

"But we weren't the ones who killed her. The witches did," Stefan insisted.

"Well, someone's going to have to pay for it!" Julian pushed Stefan back away from me.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey. Whoa," Stefan started, stumbling backwards. "I'm in no mood to fight tonight, all right?"

I caught Stefan's eye, and caught what he wanted me to do. I stepped distreectly behind Julian, ready to snap his neck with my magic if he even tried anything.

"Look at me!" Julian protested. "My wife's _dead_. I'm in somebody else's body. I've got nowhere to go because my own _people_ are trying to kill me!"

"Listen, we're gonna find a way to stop the spell," Stefan insisted. "Even if Mystic Falls is gone, we're going to find a way to save ourselves, all right?"

I thrust my hands forward, ready to make the snapping motion, but Julian heard me, and twisted around. He grabbed my arms roughly, and threw them to the side as he shoved me to the ground.

I practically bounced on the pavement, but I wasn't concerned about my new wounds. I was more concerned about Julian's now glowing yellow eyes and extended fangs.

Stefan was concerned too, because he grabbed Julian using his vampire strength, and pushed him against the car. Unfortunately, Stefan's vampire strength had nothing on hybrid strength, and Julian shoved his hand into Stefan's chest.

"Stefan!" I cried, struggling to stand up to run over and help.

But I was too late.

Julian yanked his hand out of Stefan's chest, but it wasn't empty.

Sitting, right there, in Julian's hand, was the love of my life's heart.

I gasped so loudly people in _Egypt_ could have heard it. I covered my hand with my mouth as I watched Stefan's body dessicate and go crashing to the ground.

"_NO_!" I shrieked, surging forward and grabbing Stefan's body before it could fall to the ground. I fell to the ground, his head in my lap.

"There," Julian spat. "Dead doppelgänger. Stopped the spell." He dropped Stefan's heart on the ground, and sped off.

I wasn't paying attention. I felt like somebody had _literally_ knocked the air out of my lungs and I wasn't getting enough. My hands went to cradle Stefan's face, and everything inside of me shattered as I watched the light fade from his eyes, his skin becoming covered by the ugly gray veins.

"No, _please_," I begged, but I didn't know who I was begging. Stefan? Myself? God?

I didn't get a response. Stefan had stopped moving. His eyes had closed.

Tears streamed down my cheeks at rates faster than I could have ever cried before. I started screaming, and that's when Caroline vamp rushed back to us.

"What? What's wrong?" She asked as she rounded the car, and her jaw dropped at the sight of Stefan's body on the ground, and his heart laying a bit further away.

"What happened?!" Caroline cried, falling down next to me.

"You're not dead!" I screamed at his empty body instead of answering Caroline. "You can't be dead! I won't allow you to be!" I huffed, putting my head on his still chest. "Stefan, please! _Please_! It's not fair! _IT'S NOT FAIR_!"

I sobbed into his chest as hard as I could. I cried as if I had never cried in my whole entire life, and as if I was never going to cry again. I gathered Stefan into my arms as best as I could and rocked back and forth with his body, ignoring Caroline's screams for help. I leaned my cheek against his cold forehead. This wasn't happening. It just _wasn't happening_.

"I love you..." I whimpered into his chest. "I love you so much. _Please come back to me._"

Stefan couldn't be dead. He was _Stefan_. We had _finally_ admitted our love for each other! He just could _not_ be dead!

But the horrible truth was...he was. He was _dead_.

And someone was going to pay for it.

_I would make sure of it._

* * *

**TBC...**

**STEFAN IS DEAD! WHY?**

**AND RIGHT **_**AFTER**_** THEY SAID THAT THEY LOVED EACH OTHER?**

**We are going to see a change in behaviour with Juliet that I am excited for! Remember one thing for the next chapter.**

**This was Juliet Gilbert. She would never hurt anybody. **

**THE FINALE IS NEXT!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	22. Home

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **209 followers.

Did I really make it? Am I really here right now?

Never in a million years did I think this fic could get over 200 followers! I just wanna thank everyone who has ever read, followed, favourited, and reviewed this story. It means so much to me and you have no idea how much I love you all.

So to celebrate, you guys can send me prompts and I'll write them! Yup, it can involve anyone-Stefan and Juliet, Klaus and Juliet, Damon and Juliet. They can be from past episodes or just completely random stuff you'd like to see! Like maybe the morning after the first time Klaus and Jules slept together? Or maybe Jules helping Klaus with the white oak stake in his back? We'll see!

And I know I said I'd update on Thursday, but I came to my decision faster than I thought I would.

Thanks so much again!

PS. Just to let you guys know, I switch to third person a couple of times, but you'll probably know when I do!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I had never felt so empty in my life. I felt like a robot. And it was because Stefan was dead.

Caroline helped me take him back to the dorm, because we didn't know where else to take him. Caroline still had tears streaming down her face, but I had long since stopped. I didn't know why, but my tears just...ran out.

I sat motionless beside Stefan, holding his cold, gray hand in my own. I wanted so badly to cry, but I just _couldn't_. I couldn't move or speak or think. All I could do was _sit there_.

Caroline was the one that called Elena and Damon and everyone, and the two of them immediately began driving back to Whitmore. The door to our dorm slammed open, and Elena and Damon barreled inside.

"Oh, Stefan," Elena sighed as she took in the sight of his body. She dropped down next to Caroline and I.

"We couldn't leave him out there," Caroline said through her sobs. "We didn't know what else to do so we brought him here."

"But Bonnie has a plan," I said in the most monotone voice I had ever uttered in my life. "She has a plan to bring him back. He's gonna be okay. She's gonna bring him back, _right_?"

Poor Damon looked so lost as he drank in the sight of his dead baby brother. Damon was hurting, I knew that. I could see it in his eyes, though he masked it well. "Yes, we'll bring him back. Come on, let's get him away from prying eyes."

I was forced to let go of his hand as Damon grabbed a blanket that was draped over the side of the couch and threw it over his body.

Suddenly, I felt like the air was too tight. I felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen into my lungs. I scrambled to my feet and grabbed my jacket from the floor.

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon asked as I made my way to the front door.

"I can't be here right now," I barely managed.

I ignored everyone's calls for me as I ran right out the door. Matt and Jeremy had my car, so I was forced to make the long way back to Mystic Falls on foot. I could feel my body starting to slowly shake as I walked down the streets.

I could feel the winds around me picking up and blowing gently, as if mirroring the mood that I currently had.

I eventually made it back to Mystic Falls, and went straight to the Lockwood mansion. The clock on my watch said that it was a little past 2 AM, but I didn't feel tired.

Cursing when I realized that I didn't bring my key, I knocked on the front door. It opened, and revealed Matt. "Jules?" He said, the sleep heavy in his voice. "What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving with Stefan and-"

Just the sound of Stefan's name was enough for my to surge forward into my best friend's arms. I wanted to cry again, but all that came out from me were dry sobs.

Matt led me over to the couch, and sat me down. He cradled me to his chest, and we both just laid there as he comforted me and tried to get rid of my shakes.

But I didn't think they'd ever stop.

* * *

My back and left shoulder were stiff when I woke up the next morning. I stretched my arm out, seeking Matt's warmth that I had felt all night. My heart skipped a beat when I felt nothing there. I sat up on the couch, rubbing out the kinks in my neck as I saw a tray with a plate of smiley-faced pancakes, syrup, apple juice, and a small vase with a small flower sitting on the coffee table in front of me. Beside the tray was a note. I picked it up and skimmed over it.

_Jules,_

_ Had an early shift at work, didn't want to wake you. Made you breakfast, and maybe around lunch you can come 'round to the Grill and we can talk about what had you so upset._

_ Matty_

I smiled at the little note. I picked up the fork and knife, and began eating the breakfast that my wonderful best friend had laid out for me. I could always count on Matt.

* * *

Meanwhile on the Other Side, Ivan Christos spotted Lexi Branson standing with a guy, and he strolled right up to his friend. "Lexi!"

The blonde spun around and broke out into a huge smile when she saw who it was. "Ivan, hey! Come over here! I want you to meet someone."

Lexi stepped out of the way, and Ivan got a closer look at the person that was standing with Lexi.

It was the doppelganger.

"Stefan?" Ivan asked as he came to a stop right in front of him.

"Ivan?" Stefan said in the same tone. Stefan shouldn't be surprised, though, as he knew that Ivan was dead. He saw it happen.

Lexi raised her eyebrows. "You two know each other?"

"Well, he's the doppelganger," Ivan said. "And he _is_ dating my sister."

"Wait, _Juliet_ is _your_ sister?" Lexi asked incredously.

"Yeah," Ivan answered.

"Wait!" Stefan said, putting his hands up. He gestured between Lexi and Ivan. "How do you two know each other?"

"Oh, Lexi was the first person I saw on the Other Side," Ivan explained. "She's like the unofficial welcome party. She showed me the ropes of being dead and all that."

"Really?" Stefan asked, looking over at his best friend.

Lexi lifted a shoulder. "He was the cutest person I've seen since I got here. Do you blame me?"

* * *

After my breakfast, I took a nice, long shower before stepping out of the house. I turned around to lock the door, and when I turned around, I was suddenly face to face with the last person I wanted to see.

"Markos," I backed up, my back hitting the door when I realized there was no where to run.

"Hello, Ms. Christos," Markos said solemnly.

My heart pounded with fear. What was I going to do? I pictured Markos flying away from me as far as I could manage, and he was suddenly thrown backwards, my magic knocking him back.

I took that as my chance, and I was only running for a minute before I felt my blood literally freeze. I stopped running, ceasing movements all together. I slowly turned my head, the only thing that I was still in control of, and saw Markos holding his hand out towards me, a smirk on his face. "Now I know how you feel. The magic of so many Travelers running through your veins is really the best feeling, isn't it?"

I struggled against my restraints. "I see it as more of a curse, especially since I could potentially _die_ from it."

"Nuances, nuances," Markos said. "Now, if I let you go, do you promise to not run away?"

"The best I can do is promise not to rip your head off. And even then, I'm not in control of my magic."

Markos shrugged. "I'm willing to take that risk," He said, and he surprised me when he let me go. I took in a deep breath, and turned around to face him.

"Now, Eumelia," He started, putting his hands behind his back and walking towards me. "Last we saw each other, you killed four of your own people."

Dread filled me at the thought that those people were dead because of me, but it passed when I remembered that Stefan was dead because of Julian. "Well, you _were_ keeping me hostage while taking my blood. Sorry if I was a little _edgy_."

"Well, you are forgiven, because we need your help."

I scoffed in disbelief. "In what world would I help you? My boyfriend is _dead_ because of you and your stupid spell!"

I pushed past Markos, and I was fairly surprised when he let me walk away, but his next words made me stop in my tracks, "We have the Traveler that killed Stefan."

I paused, and turned around. "You have Julian?" I asked.

Markos nodded. "If you want to see him, you'll have to come with me."

* * *

I watched as a bunch of Travelers started walking towards Mystic Falls. Two Travelers were moving our "Welcome to Mystic Falls" sign, something that confused me.

So I've been with Markos for like an hour and he still hadn't told me where Julian was. The things that I imagined doing to him were _not_ pretty, and I was just itching to try all the ways out.

"Look at it, Eumelia," Markos started, admiring the view of the Travelers moving.

"First, call me Eumelia again and I'll rip out your vocal cords. Second, what exactly am I looking at?" I asked.

Markos rolled his eyes at me. "Look. Our people, for the first time in hundreds of years, are gathering in one spot. We're preparing to settle down. Live a real life."

"And you had to pick _Mystic Falls_ to do it?" I asked in disbelief. I shook my head. "Forget it. I'm here because you said that you had Julian. Tell me where he is so I can tear his throat out."

"Wow, _Juliet_," Markos said pointedly. "It seems like your time with the vampires has made you bloodthirsty."

"No, my boyfriend dying has made me bloodthirsty," I retorted. "Julian said that he had no place to go. Basically no reason left to live. Would it be really horrible if _I_ was the one to put him out of his misery?"

Before Markos could answer, the Sheriff's car pulled up, and Liz got out of her car. Markos turned to face her as she walked up to him. "It is a good day, Sheriff."

"Maybe for _you_," Liz said. "It took me all night to evacuate a ten mile ciivilian radius around the town square." She noticed me in the back. "Juliet? What are you doing here?"

"I'm with Markos," I said, pointing at the leader of my people.

Markos directed the conversation back. "A gas leak was very impressive. Thank you for your cooperation."

Liz sighed. "It will keep our residents away for now but not forever."

"I'm sure we can think of something if we put our heads together," Markos said.

Liz looked over to where the two guys were moving the sign. "Why are they moving our sign?" She asked.

"Our desire was to end spirit magic everywhere," Markos started. "As you can see, we hit a snag. Nevertheless, this is our home now, and just to keep things simple, we've reset the official border of Mystic Falls to where the spell begins, right there."

"Of all the small towns to call home, you probably shouldn't have picked one full of vampires," Liz told him.

Markos gave her a look. "You think I'm afraid of vampires?"

Liz made an expectant face at Markos, who turned around and started walking. Liz and I followed as he started talking, "Maybe you think your friend Damon or your daughter can come save the day. Let me give an example of why that would be unwise."

One of the Travelers opened the van that was sitting in front of the road. They dragged someone out, and I felt my blood beginning to boil when I recognized who it was.

Julian.

I sucked in a sharp breath as Liz exclaimed, "Tyler!"

"That's not Tyler, Sheriff," I said, my voice devoid of any emotion. "That's Julian."

"Who's Julian?" Liz asked.

"A Traveler who betrayed his people when he killed the doppelganger and stopped the spell," Markos explained. A big, scary, werewolf-vampire hybrid, and yet a little vervain and a touch of wolfsbane and here you are; weak and all mine."

Julian/Tyler shook his head. "You think you're some great leader because you pillage a helpless town? That makes you _king_ now?" He half laughed, half scoffed. "Sorry, Your Highness, but I don't buy it."

"That's because you haven't set foot inside my Kingdom," Markos retorted. He looked over to Liz to explain the situation. "The spell the Travelers cast across Mystic Falls eliminates spirit magic, so while _our_ people-" a nod in my direction "-continue to have access to the Earth's purest magic, your friend Tyler will be stripped of _everything_ the witches did to him." Julian's eyes widened in fright as Markos continued. "First his hybrid side, then his vampirism, and with no vampirism to keep him alive, he'll just be a boy with a werewolf gene, who happened to break his neck."

Julian immediately began struggling in the hold of the Travelers, but Tyler's hybrid body was too weak to fight him off. They were about to drag him over to Mystic Falls, but I found myself saying, "Markos, wait."

Markos looked over to me expectantly, and I just nodded my head at him. He held up his hand to the men who were holding Julian. "Wait. Listen to what she has to say."

I took a deep breath, before nodding my head at the Travelers. "Follow me, but stop right where the line to the town begins."

They dragged Julian to where I told them too, and I crossed the town's border. I turned around, and faced a terrified Julian. Would what I had in mind work?

"What are you doing?" Markos asked.

"Testing something," I answered, never once taking my eyes off of him. I looked at the Travelers holding Julian down. "You can let him go."

Their eyes practically bugged out of their head. They swiveled their heads toward Markos, and began to protest. But a single raise of Markos's hand stopped them, and Markos gestured to me, as if saying, "Do what the lady says, she's a Christos."

Grudgingly, they let Julian go, but they stayed very close by in case he tried to make a run for it. "Don't bother," I said to them. "He's got nowhere to run." I looked back down at Julian, who looked so afraid for his life. Good. "Hello, Julian. Do you remember me?" I could feel my fingers starting to tingle as my rage began to grow. The trees started swaying as the wind picked up.

Julian raised his binded hands. "Juliet, I-"

I thrust my hand forward, and, since I was using spirit magic, his lips did exactly what I wanted them to-they closed. I made a gesture to shove Julian down slightly, and now his head was lowered like a-well, like a dog's.

The corner of my lips turned up slightly in a victory smile. "Because I remember you. You killed my boyfriend." With a quick twist of my hand, Julian's leg broke, and he screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, trying to reach for his leg despite the restraints on his hands. I ignored the look I was getting from Liz as I focused on Julian.

"Uh-uh," I said, and I used my magic to push his chin up so that he was looking at me. "I have half a mind to make you feel every single stab of pain that I felt when you killed Stefan." Another flick of my wrist, and Julian's arm broke. Time for a spell. "_Osoarmavas ocre item otum et sine_," I incantated, and instead of feeling pain or pressure for using magic, I felt...powerful. Julian began shaking, and with a turn of my hand (like I was turning up the heat), I kept raising the level of magic. His shakes got even worse as he began to slightly cough up blood.

"Do you feel that?" I asked, and it was very clear that he was feeling it. "That is me raising the acidity level in your blood. Doesn't feel good, does it?"

The look of pain and fear in Julian's eyes stirred something in me, and it wasn't anger. It was a...memory.

"_You knew the entire time, didn't you?" I asked Stefan._

_ "Knew what?" He asked._

_ "That I couldn't do it," I filled in._

_ "Well, it wasn't so much that you _couldn't_ do it," Stefan explained. "It was that you _wouldn't_ do it."_

_ "How did you know?" I asked, snuggling a bit closer to him._

_ "Because you're Juliet Gilbert," Stefan said with a smile. "I know who you are, and that person isn't you."_

It was when I was sent to kill Tom Avery, and I knew, deep down inside, that I couldn't take his life, at least, not intentionally. I wasn't the type of person to kill in revenge, and what I was doing to Julian...was no better than what he did to Stefan.

Those thoughts made me stop my assault on Julian, and my hand awkwardly hung in the air as I debated my next move. Julian raised his head slightly, as if wondering what I was planning to do next, and the look on his face made me feel horrible. Well, mostly because it was the face of one of my best friends, but still.

I sighed, lowering my hand. "I can't do this. Killing someone for revenge isn't something that I do. It's not the person I am. Doing this makes me no better than you. Just know that I do _not_ take sparing you lightly. If you try something ever again against my friends and family, I will _not_ stop myself next time." I walked past Julian, and back over to Markos.

The two guys who were holding Julian previously grabbed him by the arms again. "Wait, wait! Juliet, you just said that you couldn't kill me! You can't leave me here!"

I took a deep breath, before I turned around. "I said that killing someone for revenge isn't the type of person _I_ am," I started. I nodded my head at the men. "I never said anything about them."

Markos nodded his head at them, and they began dragging Julian back towards the border of Mystic Falls, Julian screaming and protesting the entire time. The men pushed him behind the sign, and all sounds of protest stopped as Julian closed his eyes. When he opened them, they had the yellow eyes of a hybrid. He blinked, and when he did, the colour was gone. His fangs suddenly came out, and he groaned in agony as they disappeared. His skin literally began to sizzle, as the vampirism keeping him as a hybrid was no longer there, so he no longer had protection from the sun. Tyler's naturally tanned skin began turning an angry red colour as it burned, and with a quick snap to the side, Julian's neck broke, killing him.

"Oh my God," Liz breathed as she studied the situation. That posed a real threat to her daughter and the people that she cared about. She looked over at me, as if she expected a protest from me. I was Juliet Gilbert, after all.

But all I did was take a few strides forward and I was back in Mystic Falls again without a care in the world. I _didn't_ care. It wasn't my job anymore. It never _was_. Look where being nice and caring about everyone _got_ me.

I wasn't Juliet Gilbert anymore. Well, at least _that_ Juliet Gilbert. I'd never be her ever again. I _refused_ to.

* * *

Ivan had left Stefan and Lexi to catch up, and instead ended up in the path of the Anchor.

"Bonnie, your name was?" He asked as he came face to face with her.

"Yeah, that's me," She said slowly. "Who are you? You look kind of familiar..."

Ivan smiled. "That's because I have the face of one of your best friends."

Bonnie's eyes widened as she realized who she was talking to. "Ivan," She breathed. "Juliet's brother?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Now, I don't know when that whole 'darkness' thing that seems to be swallowing people up will get me, and I'm probably going to be leaving when this place falls apart anyways, but can you promise me something?"

Bonnie nodded. "Sure, what?"

Ivan took a deep breath. "Tell my sister that I'm sorry. That I never meant to hurt her the way I did. And tell her that I didn't mean to leave without saying goodbye."

Ivan turned around to leave and wait for oblivion to suck him up, but Bonnie's voice stopped him. "Wait," She said.

Ivan turned back around. "What?"

"Maybe you can tell her yourself," Bonnie suggested, a hint of a smile growing. "I can help bring you back."

* * *

"Juliet!" A voice called after me, and I turned around to see Markos was running after me. I rolled my eyes and started walking again. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere that you aren't," I replied.

"Come _on_!" He said, and he ran so that he was standing in front of me. "What do I have to do that will make you see that we aren't the bad guys here?"

I shook my head. "Nothing! Don't you _see_? You're always gonna be the bad guys here."

I moved to push past him, but his voice stopped me. "What if I could bring your memories back?"

I froze, and slowly turned around. "You can do _what_?"

"All the memories that you lost from your coma?" He started as he walked over to me. "I can bring them all back. All you have to do is say the word."

I weighed my options. On the one hand, I'd have the one thing that I had been craving since I woke up from my coma was my memories. On the other, I had no idea what Markos would want out of me as part of a deal.

But I wanted to know. I wanted to experience the struggle of the last two years. I wanted to feel myself falling in love with Stefan for the proper first time. I wanted to properly experience my friendship with Klaus. Call me selfish, but I _wanted_ all of those things.

I took a deep breath. I knew this was gonna bite me in the ass later, but I nodded my head. "Do it. I want them."

"First, you have to promise that you'll help your people with this spell," Markos said. "Do it, and I'll restore your memories."

I nodded, going along with it.

Markos lifted his hands and put them on each side of my face, cradling my head. I shut my eyes, and Markos began chanting some sort of spell.

I didn't feel anything at first, but as I felt the wind pick up around me, I started to feel my brain starting to heat up. Well, not literally, but figuratively.

I tried pulling away from Markos, but he kept a firm grip on my head as he continued to read the spell.

I started slightly screaming, and my mind burned even harder. However, through the pain came flashes of images.

Memories.

Elena...Jeremy...Jenna...Alaric...Matt...Caroline...Bonnie...Damon...Tyler...Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, Finn, the entire Original family...Stefan.

_Stefan_.

Markos finished the spell, and I pulled away slightly. I took deep, shaky breaths in as my mind tried processing everything.

I remembered everything that had ever happened in Mystic Falls for the past two years. I remembered the tomb vampires, Katherine, the Hybrid Curse masking as the Sun and the Moon curse, Stefan without his humanity, the Original family, the Cure, Silas, Elena as a vampire.

_Stefan_.

I remembered everything that we had ever been through. Our laughs, our cries, our heart tugging moments.

I slowly opened my eyes, and saw Markos staring back at me. "Did it work?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I remember _everything_."

Markos smirked. "Good. Because now, you're going to help us."

I gave my own smirk in return. "You're sadly mistaken. You guys are still the bad guys."

"But you promised," Markos said. "And you don't go back on promises, Juliet."

I pulled my hand from behind my back. "I had my fingers crossed the entire time!" I used my magic to pick up a rather large looking rock from the ground and mimed smacking it against Markos's temple. Hard, but not hard enough to kill him.

And it worked! His eyes shut and he went flying to the ground. I pushed back all the Travelers who tried to attack me with my magic, and began running away from the border.

I was in okay shape. I used to be a cheerleader. I was on the track team. And with all the danger going on in this stupid town, I have had a lot of opportunities to use my legs.

So I ran like my life depended on it.

* * *

I eventually made it to the cemetery that Elena had texted me, where the spell was going to be performed by Liv Parker. I would have done it, but I wouldn't be in Mystic Falls to perform it and my magic wouldn't be strong enough.

I ran over to where I saw Bonnie, and I could faintly hear Liv reciting the spell in the back. "Bonnie!" I called out, and she turned around at the sound of my voice. She broke out into a huge smile as I wrapped my arms around her tightly. "I'm not too late, am I?" I asked, hoping that I didn't miss Stefan's return.

"Well, Luke Parker has already passed through, but you're just in time for our friends," Bonnie said, and she pulled back. She gave me a strong smile. "I'm really glad you're here, Jules."

I smiled back at her. "I'm glad I'm here too, Bonnie. Now," I started, putting my hands on her arms and giving them a tight, encouraging squeeze. "You got this."

She took a deep breath and turned to face the ghosts in front of her. "You need to come through!"

Suddenly, Bonnie slightly recoiled, and groaned in pain as someone passed through her. And to my surprise, it was Enzo.

He sighed in relief as he made it back to the land of the living. He gave me a flirtatious smile as he began to walk away. "See you around, Tinkerbell."

I made a noise of annoyance, but I knew that that wasn't the last time I'd be seeing Enzo. _Sigh_.

Bonnie made the same noise from before, but this time it sounded more pain filled. I turned around to see who had passed this time, and it was Tyler.

"Jules," He said.

I could feel tears build up in me as I saw Tyler-the _real_ Tyler. He came back. Julian was forever dead.

"Tyler," I choked, and we both ran to each other as we met in the middle for a tight bear hug.

"Tyler?" I heard Caroline's voice, and we both pulled apart to see our blonde friend walking over to the two of us. I moved aside so that they could hug, but after a few seconds, Tyler pulled back immediately. "Whoa!"

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked, worried that something had gone wrong.

"That felt different," Tyler answered, horror and seriousness mixed on his face.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Tyler grabbed a sharp rock from the ground, and made a long cut on his hand. Seemed harmless, right? For a hybrid, at least.

But Tyler's wound wasn't healing. Whatever had happened to him, it undid him being a hybrid.

"You're not healing," Caroline gasped.

Tyler's eyes widened with realization and horror. "I'm not a hybrid anymore."

I looked over to Bonnie, but she just shrugged it off as she turned back to the others. "Come on, guys! We don't have much time!" She held her hand out to someone. "Grab my hand!"

It was silent on Bonnie's part for a bit, before she got her special look of determination on her face as she surged forward and grabbed on to somebody.

That somebody turned out to be my sister.

"Elena!" Caroline and I cried out happily, running over to her.

But Elena ignored us as she spun around with tears in her eyes to face Bonnie. "No, Bonnie. Why would you do that? I can't leave without him!"

"We'll find him," Bonnie assured it, and it finally clicked in my mind that this 'him' was Damon.

"Wait, you can't find Damon?" I asked Elena, and she miserably shook her head.

I was about to ask another question when I heard Bonnie's pained groans again. I turned my head to see who had passed through this time, and I nearly died myself when I saw who it was.

_Ivan_.

"Ivan?" I breathed, and a huge smile broke out on his face as we both surged forward and wrapped our arms around each other. I was beginning to weep tears of joy as we hugged each other. "Ivan, is it really you?"

"It's really me," He said, and he pulled back. "I'm here."

My eyes widened as I remembered two other important people. I squeezed his arms tighter. "And-and our parents? What about them? Are they there?"

Ivan hesitated, and slowly shook his head. "They found peace. One of the witches told me that they found peace after seeing that we were both in good hands."

I closed my eyes, squeezing my tears back at the thought that I'd never really know my birth parents. I was brought out of my misery when I heard Bonnie beginning to cough. I turned towards my best friend. "Bonnie, are you okay?" I asked, holding my hand out towards her.

Her answer was to cough even harder into her hand, and when she pulled it back, it was covered in my blood.

"Oh my God," Caroline breathed. "Bonnie?"

Bonnie stumbled, and before any of us could catch her, she was caught by an inivisible force.

"No," I heard, and my stomach dropped all the way to my feet. "No, no, no, no."

"Stefan!" Caroline exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

I was too shocked to even move. I was well hidden by Ivan and Caroline, so I guess Stefan hadn't seen me yet. I didn't know what to do, or what to think.

"I was just trying to..." He trailed off. "She fell, I was just trying to..." He noticed the distraught look on Elena's face. "Damon, he's not there yet."

"This isn't happening," Elena wept, and she back away as Bonnie assured her that she could do this. Bonnie walked away, to where, we didn't know, but when she moved, it revealed me standing behind Elena.

Stefan's eyes widened as he took me in. "Juliet," He breathed.

And that was all it took. It was all I needed to kick start my legs, and I was running for Stefan. I swung my arms tightly around his neck, and held on so tight that I might have ripped his head off. But that was okay, Stefan was holding me in the exact same way, caressing my hair and pressing kisses under my ear. We both pulled away, and we just drank in the sight of each other.

Twenty four hours ago, Stefan was dead. And now, here he was.

We both choked out happy sobs as we met for a kiss.

This kiss was filled with so much. Relief, happiness, love. We were both certain as we kissed each other as hard as we could. I died at the end of each kiss and was brought up gasping for air at the start of the next. We kissed like we were each other's air, like we were each other's _life_.

Our breaths became heavier, and we both finally pulled apart. Our hands were on each other's faces, and I was stroking Stefan's lip as he was stroking my cheek. I was just..._so_ happy. I didn't know what else to think.

Stefan looked over my shoulder slightly, and his gaze flashed back to me, worry etched all over his features.

Worried? Why was he...?

I turned my head to look behind me, and realized that we had an audience.

Oh.

_That _was why he was worried.

We both pulled away from each other, and cleared our throats. But it was too late. Caroline, Elena, and Ivan were looking at us both, mouths agape and bewilderment plastered on their faces.

"We can totally explain," I began. We both looked at each other again, waiting for the other to begin an explanation.

"You know what?" Ivan started, clearing the awkward air. "It can wait until after we bring her Damon back," He finished, pointing at Elena.

We all nodded awkwardly, and went our separate ways. Caroline and Ivan went over to Tyler, and Elena walked back over to the tomb, leaving Stefan and I. We looked to each other, and let out a huge breath.

"That was _mortifying_," I breathed, looking over at him.

He shrugged. "You were the one who wanted to tell them."

"Yeah, but not like that!" I said. "They totally didn't expect it."

"So?" Stefan said. "We don't have to explain ourselves to them." He gathered me in his arms, and I laid my head against his chest. "We love each other, and we're going to be together. Once Damon comes back, everything will be fine."

"Everything will be fine," I repeated.

* * *

It turned out, that was wishful thinking.

And why wouldn't it be? This was Mystic Falls.

Luke had grabbed Liv and fled when he thought that she was getting closer to death, stopping the spell before Damon could make it over. Nobody knew what to think at first.

And then Elena bolted to the tomb where Liv was doing the spell.

I stayed behind, frozen in my spot. So Damon was _dead_? He was going to go away when the Other Side did? My heart fell when I realized that Stefan was going to lose his brother.

I turned around to comfort him, but he was gone. "Stefan?" I called out, and I looked down at the ground to find his trail of foot prints. I found them, and began following them as I looked for my boyfriend.

I found him sitting on the bench in the middle of the forest, and sighed when I saw him trying to conceal his shakes. "Stefan," I breathed, at a loss for words. I carefully walked over to him, and sat down next to him.

We were both silent until Stefan spoke up. "I lost them both," He choked. "The two people I've known longest in this world, both gone," He said, and I knew he was talking about Damon and his best friend, Lexi Branson.

"Lexi?" I asked to confirm.

Stefan barely nodded. "She never came out. Neither did Markos. I know that's not a coincidence. It was her, uh, 'unfinished business'."

Tears began filling my eyes at the sight of Stefan so heartbroken. I reached over and grabbed his hand, our fingers automatically intertwining. "And Damon, uh," He continued. "Finally had everything he wanted. He was happy." Stefan's lower lip wobbled as he looked down. "He should be here."

I let go of Stefan's hand so that I could wrap my arm around his back, pressing him into my side. I could feel his tears falling on to my shirt, but I didn't care. Stefan just lost the one person most important to him in the world. I knew how he felt right now. He lost his _sibling_. I felt the same way when Elena died, when Jeremy died, _and_ when Ivan died.

I was leaning my head on Stefan's back when I remembered one other person I should be comforting right now. The one person I should feel blessed to have.

"It's okay," Caroline said, and my head snapped up to see her standing in front of me. She must have come up to us and we didn't even notice. "Go to Elena. I'll take care of Stefan."

I looked over at Stefan, who just nodded. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, and put his hand into Caroline's as I pushed myself off of the bench.

* * *

I nearly toppled over as I reached the tomb, and saw my poor sister leaning her head on the wooden pane, sobbing in her grief. I took gently steps towards her so that I wouldn't scare her, and when I got close enough, I put my hand on her shoulder. "Elena?"

She turned her head sharply around, and her face relaxed when she saw that it was just me. Then, she hugged me as tight as she could manage and she sobbed harder than I had ever heard my sister cry.

"He's-he's _dead_, Jules," She wept into my shoulder. "He's _gone_! Wha-what do I _do_?"

I felt tears of my own spring up. "We have to keep living, Ellie," I said, running my fingers through her hair. "We have to do what Damon would want for us."

That just made her cry even harder, so I just shut up and let her cry. But then we were interrupted by the sound of Jeremy screaming Bonnie's name. We held on to each other tightly as we ran after Jeremy.

I was shocked to see Alaric standing with our group of friends that had assembled when we heard Jeremy's scream. I brushed it off so that I could focus on the task at hand.

"BONNIE!" Jeremy screamed as he came out into the clearing.

"What's going on?" I asked, but nobody answered my question. "Where's Bonnie?" I pressed. "_Where the hell is my best friend_?!"

Jeremy firmly locked his gaze on something further in the forest, and we all turned around to see Bonnie, who looked like she had been caught red handed.

Suddenly, she disappeared. And as I realized what was going on, Elena and I fell into each other.

_No_. _She can't_. They_ can't._

* * *

"_This place is going down, isn't it_?" Damon asked Bonnie, but it was a question he already knew the answer too.

Being the only ones left on the Other Side, they were the only ones who felt the harsh winds slapping them in the face, the grounds shaking underneath their feet as if an earthquake was going on. The Other Side was two minutes from falling completely apart and they knew it.

"_It is_," Bonnie said. They both turned to look at each other, and a single silent moment loomed over the two of them. "_I'm sure there are a million other people we'd both rather be with, but..._" Bonnie left her sentence incomplete as she looked down at their hands that were so close to each other. She reached over, and intertwined their fingers together.

Damon made no move to pull his hand away, and instead looked down at their hands before looking back up at Bonnie. "_Couple thousand, at most_."

They both enjoyed the stupid joke. They looked forward, growing increasingly worried as the world's colours began to fade, and white began replacing them. They knew that the next thing the light would take would be them.

"_Do you think it'll hurt_?" The witch asked the vampire as the light inched ever so closely towards them, as if teasing them.

Damon shook his head as he said, "_I don't know-_"

And his thought was left unfinished as the light finally enclosed around them, consuming the very last bit of the Bennett witch and the Salvatore vampire, leaving behind nothing but a searing white flash to signal the end.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Okay, I know a lot of you wanted to see Jules go with Bonnie and Damon (it was **_**alarming**_** how many of you wanted to see Juliet dead), but I just didn't feel like it would be the best decision for a few reasons. **

**A) Bonnie and Damon's time in the little 1994 bubble that they were in really helped to build their relationship/friendship as they were the only people there to talk to each other and I don't want to mess anything up in case it's brought up later in season 6. **

**B) I feel like it'd be more fun to play with the characters and Jules, such as the return of Ivan and another character I'm going to bring in next season that is completely original. **

**C) Stefan and Jules's relationship will be interesting to play around with, as Stefan still leaves in season 6, and Juliet isn't the type of girl to just crawl back to a guy.**

**D) The next few chapters would be pretty short because there wouldn't be enough content.**

**Believe me, I really wanted to do them in 1994, and it was the hardest decision that I've ever had to make, but I think it will be good.**

**ANYWAYS! Season 6 will be in the same story document!**

**UNTIL THEN!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	23. I'll Remember

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Summary of Season 6:** Now on S6! After the deaths of Bonnie and Damon and the loss of their home, the Mystic Falls gang are each struggling with how to move on. Juliet is stuck in the middle of helping to make Mystic Falls supernatural again or leaving it only humans, while also struggling with her own personal problems. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Damon fight to get back to the ones that they love.

**Author's Note: **WELCOME TO SEASON 6!

With the way season 6 is looking right now there is going to be a LOT of Jefan angst and honestly I'm so excited for it.

AND! I have finished my first Kluliet one shot! It's the scene from season 4 when Klaus gets the white oak stake stuck in his back! So watch out for when I finally upload it into another document!

Also, I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, mainly because the episode focused A LOT on Elena being annoying and I'm just like "LOL not here for that".

**Enjoy!**

* * *

A loud slam woke me up, and I threw my head off of the table as I blinked hard. I felt my back scream out in protest as I moved the stiff muscles. My hair was definitely a bedraggled mess, and my eyes were probably red from staying up so late. I looked around me and remembered where I had fallen asleep.

The coffee shop on Whitmore campus.

"You spent the night _again_?" Adam Lawrence asked as he tied his apron on.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and reached for the coffee cup that Adam made me every morning-with 2 milk and 2 sugars. "I was working."

"You do realize that you can work at your dorm, right?" He asked as he sat down across from me.

"I'm less tempted to fall asleep here than I am at my dorm," I informed him, blowing on the hot coffee before taking a dainty sip.

"You fall asleep here anyways. If George catches you again, he won't let you come back," He said.

"But that's why I have _you_," I said, innocently batting my eyelashes. Adam rolled his eyes, but there was a clear smile on his face. "You always wake me up in time before your boss comes in."

"Well, I might not be here next time," He reminded me. "Now, be a good student and head off to your next class."

I lifted a finger. "Ah, but luckily for me, my next class doesn't start until 10:15."

Adam gave me a worried glance, and he looked down at the watch on his wrist before looking back up at me. "It's 10:10."

My eyes practically bugged out of my head, and I grabbed his wrist to confirm the time myself. To my horror, it was no longer 10:10. It was 10:11.

"_Crap_!" I exclaimed, unplugging my laptop and shoving it into my bookbag. I grabbed my books and put them into my bag as fast as I could. I could _not_ be late for Alaric's class! Not again! I _refused_ to repeat my high school days of always being late to his class!

"Thanks for the coffee, Adam!" I said as I grabbed the cup from the table and nearly tripped as I stood up. "I'll see you later!" I called behind my back as I ran out of the coffee shop.

I had no time to go back to the dorm to wash my face or brush my teeth or _even change_. I had to barrel it to Alaric's class, and when I got to the door, I straightened my hair as best as I could and grabbed the doorknob. I turned it agonizingly slowly and pushed slightly. He didn't react, he just went on with the lesson.

"'Occult'. The word in its literaly translation means hidden. Therefore, the study of the Occult..."

I pushed the door open even more, and managed to slip through. Alaric had his back to the class, and I almost did a happy dance as I ran to an open desk as quickly and quietly as possible.

"Late again, Ms. Gilbert?"

_Shit_, I groaned in my head. Curse his vampire hearing! I turned slightly on my heel. "You know me, Professor Saltzman. I like to keep consistent."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Just sit down."

I saluted him. "Will do." I ran over to an empty desk and plopped myself down in it. The person sitting next to me happened to be my twin brother, freshly back from the dead.

"Where were you?" Ivan whispered.

I shook my head. "Don't ask. What page are we on?"

Having Ivan back had been a thrill. Even though I spent the majority of my summer in New Orleans (where I was totally convinced that Klaus and I would do totally amazing things and have great adventures, but I found out that his daughter had unfortunately been killed by werewolves, so he just moped about the house while Elijah, a vampire that Klaus had sired like a billion years ago named Marcel, Hayley, a bartender named Cami that Klaus had taken quite a liking to (I was going to get those details out of him if it killed me) and a witch named Davina all took me out to do things) Ivan and I had been bonding a whole lot more. He had instantly taken in Jeremy and Elena (who immediately liked Ivan) as his family too, and with Alaric back, we were slowly becoming a weird ass, dysfunctional family-if we could even be _classified_ as a family.

I zoned back into Alaric's lecture when the door to the classroom banged open, and a sweaty Tyler busted in trying to run to his seat.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. It was called _stealth_, Tyler. Which, you know, I didn't have either, but still!

"Oh, Mr. Lockwood!" Alaric said. "How generous of the practice squad to lend you to us."

"Sorry I'm late," He said as he sat down in his seat.

Alaric continued with the lecture. "Now, typically, not all Occult groups held consensus on the topic..."

And I zoned right back out. The only reason that I took the Occult class was because a) it was Alaric's class, b) all my friends were taking it, and c) Elena practically begged me to take it.

So I instead took out my notebook filled with leads on Bonnie and Damon and crossed out the most recent lead.

It had been...hard, trying to cope with their deaths, especially Bonnie's. It was one of the reasons that I couldn't stay in Mystic Falls (even though I totally still could-the magical barrier _was_ intended for Travelers, after all) because all of the memories were too fresh.

Caroline had been so driven to figure out a way to bring the two of them back and drop the barrier in Mystic Falls. In fact, she had basically dropped out of Whitmore (I know, right? _Caroline_ dropped out of college) to try and figure out a way to bring them back full time. Since I was a Traveler, Caroline had been practically forcing me to find any information, any spell that I could that could help take down the barrier and save Bonnie and Damon.

So between _that_ and college, well, I was freaking _exhausted_.

The only reason that I spent my nights at the coffee shop was by the time I was finished doing homework and research I would be too tired to move. So I told myself that I would only give myself five minutes to close my eyes and then I would leave, but that usually resulted in either a) me sleeping right through my classes or b) Adam having to wake me up and I'd have to rush to my next class, like this morning. And more often than not, I'd fall asleep during class anyways.

Which is exactly what I had done as soon as Alaric had started talking again.

"_Ms. Gilbert_!"

I snapped my head up, blinking hard. I felt Ivan nudged me in the side, hard, and I looked over to Alaric who was glaring at me _again_.

"Continuing your habits from high school, I see?"

Oh my God, you fall asleep in class _one time_ and it was like you murdered someone! "Well, you know what they say, Professor Saltzman. Old habits die hard."

"Kill that habit right now or you can see yourself out of class," Alaric said briskly, and turned back to the board.

Whoa. _Someone_ hadn't had enough blood this morning.

I pretended to pay attention for the rest of the class, and when the bell rang, I planned on just beelining to my dorm and ditch the rest of my classes by sleeping the day away, but Alaric grabbed my arm before I left the room.

"Sorry about earlier," He said sheepishly. "I was a little grouchy and-"

"And you can't pick favourites," I finished, readjusting my bookbag strap. "I get it."

I sighed before I reached into my bag and took out a couple books. "These are books that Caroline and I have finished. There is no mention of what we can do to remove the spell on Mystic Falls."

Alaric nodded, and he reached into his bag where he had some more books. "Well, I brought 'Ancient Witchcraft' Volume Two."

I clicked my tongue. "I've already read it." I didn't even have to look at my list. It was a book that Adam had nearly caught me reading the first time that we met.

"Okay," He dragged. "How about...'The Art of Hexing and Elements of Magic'?"

I reached into my bag for the list, and after a quick scan revealed that it wasn't there. I took it from his outstretched hands. "Thanks buddy."

We both stood there in an awkward silence, because we both knew I wanted to ask another question. "How is he?" I finally blurted.

"Stefan?" Alaric clarified, and I wanted to throw the book back at his head because really, who else was I going to be talking about?

I nodded slightly. "Yeah, him."

"He's okay."

I tried to stop my anger from boiling over at Ric's obvious attempts to dodge the conversation. "Do you talk to him a lot?"

He shrugged slightly. "I don't know, a couple times a week?"

"Right," I said, clenching my hands into fists.

"I'm going to go out on a limb, here, Juliet," Alaric said, leaning forward slightly so that his arms were resting on his desk. "Is something bothering you?"

I half laughed, half scoffed. "No. No, why would something be bothering me? It's not like my boyfriend-whom I've said I love you to and he said it back to me-suddenly up and left without saying goodbye or send a single postcard or replied to _any_ of my zillions of calls or texts or emails over the past four months?"

I could feel tears that I'd fought so hard to keep back brimming my eyes. "I feel so stupid. I actually convinced myself that the reason that he didn't call was because he needed space and I thought that it was good for him. But no. No. I'm just an idiot."

"You are _not_ an idiot," Alaric said firmly. "Maybe he just doesn't want to bother you with every half lead he gets that goes nowhere."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm-I-I _was_ his girlfriend, Alaric. By not talking to me he's made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"Maybe he's just somewhere that doesn't get cell reception," Alaric suggested.

"Or maybe I need to stop living in some fantasy world," I argued. Time to end this conversation. I shoved the book in my bag. "I gotta go."

"Juliet," Alaric started, but I ignored him and walked right out of the classroom.

* * *

I knocked on the door of the Lockwood mansion (I really needed to start making sure that I had my key before I left the dorm) and Matt answered the door. I gave him a quick hug.

"Hey, Matty," I said, and walked inside. "So, where is he?"

Matt pointed towards the living room. "In there. Not doing anything."

I walked into the living room, and paused his game with my magic. Ah, traditional magic.

Jeremy cursed and spun around on the couch. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What's best for you," I answered, and Matt and I walked around the couch so that we were standing in front of him. We were gonna double team him. I surveyed his disarrayed body. "Get the hell off of that couch before I physically make you," I said as Matt and I crossed our arms.

"Oh I'm shaking in my boots," Jeremy teased.

"You should be," I said, and I moved forward to smack some sense into the stupid kid but Matt grabbed me by the arm before I could. I groaned, but let matt take over.

"So. This is it, huh?" Matt asked him. "Video games. Random girls. Drunk by noon every day." Matt sighed. "Look, it sucks that Bonnie's dead, Jer. We get it. But you need to start living your life again."

"How?" Jeremy asked, unpausing his game and playing it again. "By joining the community protection squad?" He was obviously referencing Matt's decision to help people. "What are you protecting us from? Bike theft? Litter? Magic doesn't work here. The town's safe."

"For now," I argued. "Caroline and I are trying to figure out a way to change all that. So it's only a matter of time before we're dealing with supernatural problems again."

"You're a hunter," Matt pointed out. "You have skills. Use them!"

"No more magic means I'm not a hunter anymore," Jeremy said as he grabbed a can of beer, kicking his legs up off of the table.

Rolling my eyes, I used my magic to grab the can from his hand and place it in my own. "So help me Jeremy Gilbert, if I hear from Matt again that you're doing absolutely nothing with your life you are going to get it so bad from me. What was the point of you even coming back to life if you keep acting like you're dead anyways?" I asked, and I could see the hurt look in his eyes.

Good. Maybe that would finally put some sense into his mind.

I slammed the can back on the table and promptly left the room. Matt followed me as I made my way to the door.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Matt asked as I stopped with my door on the handle. "You really hurt him."

I sighed, before looking back at Matt. "I'm done being that Juliet Gilbert, Matt. I'm not her anymore."

And I opened the door and left.

* * *

I drove back to Whitmore right after. I guess I could have gone to the pep rally thing that they were doing for the football team, but I wasn't in any mood to do anything with people.

So I just did some more homework and researched some more.

Was this what my life had become? Wake up, work, back to bed again (if I even manage to get to my bed)? Helping my best friend take back a town that I wasn't even sure that I wanted anymore?

Maybe what we all needed was to move on from Mystic Falls. But to do that, we'd have to know what we wanted. Elena wanted Damon back. Jeremy wanted Bonnie back. Caroline wanted the town back.

I was the only one who didn't know what they wanted.

But I did know _who_ I wanted.

"Hey," I said softly. "This is just me leaving another message. I don't know. I've kind of lost hope that you're still listening to these because I basically say the same thing every time. But this message is a little different, so I hope you're listening." I gulped. "Everyone and every_thing_ has been falling apart. It's like everyone is so sure that they don't need anyone anymore and that they're managing just fine. I think that Elena is so far gone that nothing is enough to bring her back. And as long as she's over the edge, she's a whole different person and it's not healthy."

"Tyler's no better. He is totally just hiding at Whitmore to try and avoid his werewolf gene because the fact is, if Tyler loses his cool for even one minute, that one minute can change his whole life," I went on.

"It's almost like Matt and Jeremy have ankle bracelets that attach them to Mystc Falls because they never leave the place. The barrier prevents vampires from going over and after going there myself, part of me wonders if they even _want_ vampires back in Mystic Falls. It's-I can't believe I'm saying this-_peaceful_. It's quiet. There is no danger. How long have we wanted that for the stupid town?"

"Caroline's completely driven herself into the ground trying to find out a way to drop the barrier around Mystic Falls. And I'm all for helping her, I really am, but she's become too obsessed. Yeah, I get it, I miss Mystic Falls too, but I think that Caroline's only doing it because she's so scared of what her own future holds. She's a vampire so she can't start a family of her own, she's dropped out of school, and she can't stay anywhere for too long before people start to figure out that something's not quite right with her. Her future is so full of uncertainty that she wants to try to live in the past where everything is familiar and it's not good for her. Caroline can say that Elena is pressing pause on her life as much as she wants, but Caroline is doing the exact same thing. I just don't want to say anything because, well, who am I to crush her hope?"

"And as for me...I don't know _anything_ anymore. Four months ago I was so sure of everything. I was so sure of who I was, what I wanted, and what was going to happen to me. But here I am, _not_ picking what I want to do with my life and sitting in my dorm room by myself like a loner with no idea what I even want to do _tomorrow_.I'm just letting my life pass me by and I have no idea how to stop it. I just feel so alone and I am _done_ with feeling alone because I'm _not_. We need each other, Stefan. And if you're freaked out because I told you that I loved you then I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I did something wrong. If this is your way of breaking up with me then so be it. But we need to stick together right now if we even have _hope_ to get out of this painful time. I don't want to give up on you Stefan, but if I don't hear your voice-and your _real_ voice, not some stupid fucking voice mail-then you're leaving me no choice. I know, being Juliet Gilbert, that I don't give up on people. But four months ago I made myself a promise that I'd stop being that Juliet Gilbert because she got me _nowhere_. Those are my terms. Take it or leave it."

I hung up, and let the voice mail send to him. I kept my composure really well throughout the phone call, but as soon as I hung up I let myself cry. Really, _really_ cry.

In the past four months, I grieved for Bonnie as hard as I could. Hell, I even grieved for _Damon_, because we had really just started getting somewhere when he died. But never, for one second, did I let myself grieve over the loss of my relationship with Stefan because I never thought that it was really lost.

But with the way things were looking, I was losing hope. The old Juliet Gilbert would have clung on to that hope and never let it go.

But I was the new Juliet Gilbert. And she says to hell with Stefan. I was going to lock those feelings up and push them aside.

Having Stefan come back was my hope. I lost it.

It was time to find a new hope.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Ooh, some harsh feelings between Jefan.**

**You guys have got to understand that Juliet feels betrayed that Stefan stopped talking to her. I would be too!**

**And besides: Who doesn't like a little angst?**

**JULENZO REUNION NEXT CHAPTER I AM LITERALLY SO EXCITED!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	24. Yellow Ledbetter

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Back it up," I said, putting a hand in front of Alaric. We were at a quaint little restaurant at Whitmore for breakfast. It was a bright and sunny Friday morning (luckily I didn't have class on Fridays), but with the news that Alaric just dropped on me, it might as well have been a rainy ass day. "You told me that Stefan was searching for a way to bring back Bonnie and Damon."

"I thought he was," Alaric answered. "I've been feeding him leads for months. He let me believe he was following them."

"Well, I've been too focused on schoolwork and helping Caroline take back Mystic Falls. And judging by the lack of magic in Mystic Falls, it's been going super shitty. And now you're saying that no one has been looking for anything to help Bonnie and Damon this _entire time_?" I asked.

Alaric hesitated. "I wouldn't exactly say no one."

And judging by the tone of his voice, I knew who he was talking about.

"No," I started. "_Please_, no. Don't say it. For the love of God don't say the name."

Alaric looked even more hesitant to tell me, based on my reaction.

_No_.

I clasped my hands together and pointed them upwards. "God. If you are really and truly up there, please do not let him say the name that I'm thinking of!"

* * *

So Alaric said the name.

He also gave me an address on where I could find he who should not be named (and no, I am _not_ talking about Voldemort).

I walked into the hotel, and began looking for him. I passed by the coat room, and suspicious noises were coming out of it.

So I turned the doorknob and opened it.

And I _screamed_.

"_My eyes!_" I shrieked turning away. "They'll never be clean again!"

I covered my eyes and turned back around to face the inside of the closet. "Do me a favour and put it away so I can open my eyes."

"We're done, don't worry," the nameless person said, and I uncovered my eyes, sighing in relief that he was telling the truth.

"Well, what do you know. A blast from the past," Enzo said. "Hello, Tinkerbell."

* * *

"Run me through your plan _one more time_?" I asked Elena.

Enzo and I were following the Gemini coven lead when I got a call from Elena, who just told me an absolutely outrageous plan.

"_I asked Alaric to compel me to forget that I ever loved Damon_," She repeated.

"And why would you do that?" I retorted. "I am literally chasing a lead right now! What if we do manage to bring Damon back? You won't remember him."

"_You're objecting to this_?" She asked. "_I totally expected this from Caroline, not you_."

"I'm only objecting to it because I actually like Damon now, even with all my memories back," I said. "I just feel bad for him."

"_You're talking about something that may never even happen_!" Elena argued. "_If anything, Alaric will just compel me to remember again. You have to understand, Jules. I need to do this to keep myself going_."

I sighed. There was no way Elena was going to change her mind. "If you think that this is what's best for you, then I am one hundred percent behind you, Elena. I don't want to go through a whole year of tension and fighting again. I just want you to be happy. And if Alaric compelling away any traces of your love for Damon would make you happy, then go for it."

I could hear the smile in Elena's voice. "_Thank you. So remember, you can't mention anything to me about it. I love you, big sis_."

"I got it. And I love you, little sis," I told her, and ended the call.

"Ah, sister bonding," Enzo said from beside me, and I rolled my eyes at his tone. "Very sweet."

"Look, we agreed that I'd drive and you'd keep your mouth shut," I bit. "I'm keeping my end of the deal. Keep yours."

"Well, I'm a rebel," Enzo retorted. "So, I heard your life is spiraling out of control."

I gave him a look. "You need a new information guy. My life is perfectly in control."

"Oh? So you're _not_ failing your economics class?" He asked, and I was forced to stay silent because, well, it wasn't a lie. "Or your communications class? _Or_ your-"

"Okay, I get it!" I snapped. "I know, I know, I'm failing college. But that's only because a) nothing interests me, and b) I've been so caught up in everybody else's business I've had no time to work." I turned back to the road. "When do we exit?"

"Soon. You should consider getting yourself a tutor. _I _happen to be very good at communications..."

"_Your _only communication skill is how to get secrets out of a coat check girl with your tongue," I snarked. "Sorry if I decide on another tutor."

"Garment attendant," He corrected, looking out a window.

"Okay, you totally made that up," I accused, and gripped the steering wheel. "Did you make up the Gemini coven too? Because with all of the research Caroline has forced me to do-and trust me, it was a _lot_-I've never once heard of them."

"No idea," He answered. "That's not where we're headed."

I nearly swerved the car. "What? Then where the hell are we going? I swear to God, Enzo, if you are trying to lead me to some murky, backwards hotel-"

"That's not where we're going at all, Tinkerbell," Enzo interrupted. "However, if that _is_ where you'd like to go I could always take out my GPS..."

"Gross!" I immediately said. "God, Enzo. Just tell me. _Where are we going_?"

* * *

I couldn't believe my ears.

First of all, Enzo was right, we _weren't_ going to find a lead on the Gemini coven. We came to a house.

_Stefan's_ house.

Where we were greeted by a girl a little older than me.

_Who called Stefan her boyfriend._

Ivy the Boyfriend Stealing Bitch led us into the house. I could hear Stefan's voice inside, and I felt as if my heart was cracking into two separate pieces. I couldn't let it show though-Enzo would never let me live it down.

"Stefan!" Enzo declared as he walked into the house, me trailing closely behind him. "You are a hard man to track down. Uh, I wasn't sure if your new _friend_-" a glance over at Bitchvy "-would invite us in, but she said that this was your place. Which means...open invitation to all of your mates, right?" Enzo clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Got any bourbon?"

He walked over to the side, giving Stefan a clear view of the murderous look I was shooting him.

Was I heartbroken? Yes.

Was I sad? Of course.

But do you know what else I was?

_Super fucking pissed off_.

I would not let him see me cry.

I could clearly see guilt shoot across Stefan's face, but that look gave me power.

I was breathing heavily to try and control my emotions, and so that I wouldn't unleash all of my magic on him.

At least until the Plant Skank was out of the room.

What the hell kind of name was 'Ivy' anyways?

* * *

Having no other choice, Stefan had to let Enzo and I stay for dinner.

"So, what are your names?" Ivy asked with a polite smile, and it took everything in me to not claw it right off.

"I'm Juliet," I said, somehow peacefully and politely. I pointed at Enzo, and trust me, the words that tumbled out of my mouth next could not be stopped. "And this is Enzo, my boyfriend."

Enzo very nearly choked on his bourbon.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" I asked, having to pretend to be a concerned girlfriend. I rubbed his back and everything.

He gave me a look that said, 'What the hell do you think you're doing'?

And I gave him a look that begged him to go with it.

"I'm fine! I'm fine," He coughed, wiping at his lips. "It just went down the wrong pipe."

I sighed in pretend relief. I gave Stefan, who had returned with a bowl of-something, and grabbed Enzo's hand right in front of him, lacing our fingers together.

"So!" Poison Ivy started. "How do you two know Stefan?"

"He and I went to high school together," I answered, and I gave Stefan a glare as I said. "He's my _ex_-boyfriend."

Ivy's eyes immediately widened, and she looked worried as she glanced over at Stefan, and then to me.

"Oh, no!" I started. "It's totally fine. I am _so_ over him. Besides, I've got this one to keep me busy," I said as I slightly nudged Enzo.

"Oh!" Ivy the Bitch sighed in relief. "And how did you and Enzo meet?"

"Through Stefan, actually," I said, pointing at my traitor boyfriend. "Babe, tell Poi-_Ivy_ how we met."

"It's very romantic, actually," Enzo started. "Well, not really, we were at a bar."

That prompted a laugh out of Ivy, and I wanted to stab her in the throat to stop the stupid noise.

"Stefan and I were just having a couple of drinks, catching up on stuff we had missed since we last saw each other, when this gorgeous woman walked in. That was when Stefan remembered that he was supposed to have drinks with Juliet. I just happened to be there, so he came over and talked with me before he completely lost track of the time. Anyways, this beautiful thing of a lady walked over, and right then, I knew I was head over heels," Enzo fabricated.

Wow. I was honestly impressed with his fake story.

"And he still acts that way," I said.

"Why wouldn't I?" Enzo asked. "You're definitely a catch, one that I am so glad I have."

"That's very sweet," Ivy commented.

Hopefully sweet enough to choke you.

"So, how did you and Stefan meet?" I asked, trying not to crack the glass in my hand with how tight I was holding it.

"Ivy's car was in the shop where I work," Stefan explained, and it took everything in me not to throw my wineglass at his stupid, lying, head.

"You work at an auto repair shop?" I asked. Not only was he cheating on me, he was still in Savannah not caring about any of us.

"It's relaxing," Stefan said with a nod.

"Why?" Poison Ivy asked, confused. "What did you used to do?"

"Ah, man of all seasons, jack of all trades," Enzo answered for him. He looked over at Ivy's neck. "You have a lovely clavicle."

"Oh, thank you," She said, stroking her neck. "I think."

"Forgive me, I always notice a woman's neck," Enzo said. "I'm a neck person! So is Stefan," A look over at the man who's death I was currently plotting. "Right, Stefan?"

"Not anymore," Stefan said, not even looking up. That was mainly because I was sitting right across from him and he was too much of a coward to look over at me.

"Oh, that's silly! You can't stop being a neck person!" He insisted, and he looked over at me. "Though her neck is my favourite."

I laughed embarrassingly. Enzo was surpsingly good at this. "Oh, stop. I'm sure you say that to all girls."

"It's true with you," Enzo said, and gave me a flirtatious smile.

I locked eyes with Stefan for two seconds when I came up with a down right outrageous plan. Probably even more than Elena's.

I gave Stefan the hardest glare I could manage, then turned, grabbed Enzo's face, and planted a kiss right on top of his lips.

Huh. Enzo was not a bad kisser. I could see how the coat check woman would have given him the information.

After kissing for a few seconds, I pulled away from Enzo. "Will that calm you down for a few minutes?"

"I expect another," He said as he went back to eating.

I looked over to Stefan, and felt pleasure course through me at the sight of his cracked glass. That could only mean that my plan worked-I got him _that_ angry and jealous. Good.

Ivy leaned over to me and it took everything in me to not stab her in the eye with my salad fork. "Is he always like that?"

"Oh, he can be worse when he wants to be," I whispered back.

"Uh, hello. I'm right here!" Enzo protested, and we looked back over to him. "I have super sensitive hearing. Practically supernatural. Do you believe in the supernatural, Ivy?"

Whoa, Enzo really needed to watch it.

"Uhh..." She thought. "Never really thought about it."

"I, myself, I'm a believer," Enzo said, and he was going a bit far. "Had to get a witch to do a little locator spell to find my buddy here."

A locator spell! In four months, why hadn't _I_ thought of that?

Stefan just gave a soft chuckle, and I followed suit to cover his and Enzo's asses-and mine, in a way-to keep their supernatural secret, and that prompted laughs from everyone.

We all ate in silence for a bit. Then, Stefan went to open another bottle of wine, and that was when Enzo spoke up again. "So, Stefan! Tell us. This house is very charming. When'd you get it?"

Stefan poured himself some wine. "About a month or so ago."

"No, more than that, remember?" Ivy started. "We met two months ago and you already had it."

I felt rage boil up in my stomach. "You've had this house for over _two months_?" I asked.

He knew he was caught, but he played it off. "Yeah, I guess I have." He came over and sat back down.

"That's super interesting, actually," I mused. "Everyone back home thought that you were living somewhere else and doing some important investigative work and not auto-repair. And one of us back home actually thought that it was a good idea to leave you alone to do that work. Guess they were wrong."

"They were wrong," Stefan snapped, and if it were possible for him to hurt me even more, he just did with the tone of his voice. "And I've moved on from that job."

"Stefan, you can_not_ move on from the investigative work until you've finished and solved the investigation," I hissed.

"How 'bout we just drop it?" He said, giving me a look to shut up. "I'm _happy _doing what I'm doing and that's all that should really matter, right?'

I scoffed, leaning back in my chair. "Of course. _Your_ happiness matters more than anybody else's doesn't it, Stefan?"

Enzo put his hand on top of mine and gave it a squeeze as I grabbed my wineglas and took a long drink. "Now, sweetheart. No need to make a scene. Really, it's all probably just some big...misunderstanding. Perhaps this will clear it up."

Enzo suddenly grabbed his fork and stabbed Stefan in the middle of his hand, sticking it down on the table. Ivy screamed while I practically choked on my wine. "_Enzo_!" I shouted.

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" Stefan gritted. Four holes in his hand were dripping with blood.

"So many secrets," Enzo mused. "What are you running from, Stefan?" He asked as he pulled the fork out.

Instantly, Stefan's wound began to close. Ivy sat there with her mouth agape, obviously bewildered about what was going on.

"I-I don't..." She began.

I rolled my eyes as I came to Stefan's rescue _again_. I did the man too many favours.

I grabbed Ivy's chin and turned it towards me. "_Fac, ut locutus, quod ego dico. Nulla optio_," I incantated quickly, and Ivy's eyes glazed over. "Calm down. Come with me. Let's go upstairs." Ivy stood up, and I gave Enzo a look. "No need to make a _scene_?"

* * *

I quickly compelled Ivy to forget everything she had just seen and told her to stay in the bathroom. I went back downstairs to see what was going on between Enzo and Stefan, because it obviously wasn't good.

And it seemed that Enzo had lost because he was temporarily dead with his neck snapped, laying on the ground. Stefan was cleaning up the wreckage as I went over, crossing my arms.

"You should probably get him out of here. He'll be up soon and I really don't feel like another go-around," Stefan suggested.

I could barely look at him without wanting to tear his head off. "Do your own dirty work, Salvatore."

Stefan could obviously hear the distaste in my voice. He sighed, standing up. "Juliet..."

Tears filled my eyes as I threw my hand out, grabbing Stefan by the throat with my magic before throwing him down on the ground. I kept him there as I swallowed the buldge in my throat.

"No!" I screamed. "You don't get to apologize because there are not enough words in the _universe_ that could possibly make up some pathetic apology from you," I said. "I have half a mind to make you feel all the pain that I'm feeling right now," I told him, clenching my hand which worsened the pain that Stefan was feeling, and he groaned in pain. "How could you give up? You stopped caring. You cared about _everyone_. It was something that we had in common. How could you give up on all of us?"

I stopped using my magic on him because I wanted to hear his answer, and he couldn't give it if he was screaming in pain. He slowly stood up, and looked me in the eyes. "Cause I had to. I had to move on," He began. "You know, the months before I moved here, I was following every single lead that Alaric sent my way. I spoke to every witch, every shaman, every psychic in twenty countries around the glove and every single lead was a dead end."

"Enzo has another lead," I began. "This coven in Oregon-"

"The Gemini coven," Stefan interrupted. "Yeah, I looked into them, too. Juliet, there was nothing there. Because there's nothing that we can do. Damon and Bonnie are _dead_. I had to come to terms with that. And once I did, I had to start over. I couldn't just live my life with my old friends. I couldn't just go near Mystic Falls or Elena or-"

"Or me?" I finished for him, the bulge in my throat returning, and Stefan's eyes left my gaze. "You couldn't be near me because you left me. You gave up on me. I _never_ gave up on you, Stefan. When everyone else was ready to accept that you were too far gone, who was the _one person _that fought for you every time? Not Damon, not Elena, not Caroline, _me_!" I fought as hard as I possibly could to keep my tears back. I refused to cry in front of him. "Didn't you hear how badly I was spiraling out of control and _needed_ you in my phone calls?"

Stefan looked down, avoiding my gaze. And that was when it clicked.

"You never listened to any of them did you?" I asked, but I didn't get a response. I heaved. "Stefan, I-I loved you. I _thought_ that you loved me."

Stefan sighed, and steeled himself. "Well, you thought wrong. It was one of the reasons that I had to leave you, the most. I couldn't be around someone in my past who was in love with me. I had to move on. I didn't have a choice. I had to erase everything."

And that was what broke me. If it were physically possible for Stefan to rip my heart out, stomp on it, and then dance around on the broken pieces as I watched, that would be exactly what was happening right now.

"I was right," I said to myself. "I'm an idiot. I'm the biggest idiot that's ever lived because I let myself fall in love with a Salvatore. I should have expected my heart to be broken." I poked him in the chest, hard. "You want your new start? You've got it. You can erase me _all _that you want. Because I don't care anymore. And trust me, the old me would have done _everything _to get you back. But the day after you died, I promised myself I wouldn't be her anymore. And trust me Stefan, there are a lot of things that I can forgive you for. Grieving your brother so hard you avoided my calls? Sure. Lying to me? That's a maybe. But being with another girl without having the balls to call me and break up with me first?" I took a step closer to him. "I am _never_ going to forgive you for that. I'll always hate you for it. Congratulations, Stefan," I began backing away from him. "You've made me hate you." I spun around to leave, but before I did, I turned around again. "And if it wasn't clear, we are _so _done!" I ripped off the vervain necklace he had given me so long ago, and threw in on the ground before storming out of the house.

I'd admit it. During my yelling session at Stefan, I felt good letting all my anger out.

But when I got back to my car? I cried my brains out.

I pushed aside all of the hurt, but now it was like a dam had broken and all of the pain was being washed over me and I was practically drowning in it. My eye make up was completely smeared, making me look like a raccoon, but I didn't pay attention to it as I buried my face into my hands with a deep sob.

I tried telling myself to stop crying. That when I did, I'd be stronger. But every time I stopped, I thought back to what Stefan had said, which brought on another round of sobs.

My phone rang, and I reached into my pocket to pull it out. Elena was calling, so I cleared my throat to make it sound like I wasn't wailing. "Hey, Ellie!" I greeted, sounding surprisingly upbeat.

"_Come home so you can change into some party clothes_," She said happily. "_Tyler and Caroline are coming over and we are going to pull Ivan away from his homework for more than two minutes and then we're going out_."

"_Someone_ sounds happy," I said, trying to keep a smile in my voice.

"_I _am _happy," _She replied. "_I had a happy day. I ditched all my classes and hung out with Ric, and we um...we talked about Bonnie."_

It worked. Alaric's compulsion worked.

Tears slipped down my face as I cried softly to myself, so softly that Elena couldn't hear me. "_I had a good cry, and I don't know I-I really feel like things are taking a turn for the better. So come home from wherever you are and let's have some fun._"

I smiled. "I'll be there soon, I was just visiting Matt in Mystic Falls for the day. Hey, I'll sneak over Caroline's stuff and we'll force her to spend the night with us, for old times' sake."

"Sounds perfect," Elena agreed. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said back with a quiet sniffle.

I hung up, and I was about to start another round of tears when the passenger door opened and Enzo climbed in. I quickly wiped at my tears to hide the fact that I was crying, but I wasn't fast enough to get all of them, so I turned my head away from Enzo.

"Well, that was a bust," He said as he slammed the door shut. I guess he could hear my sniffles, because he said, "Hey, Juliet?"

"I'm fine," I answered, though I didn't make the effort to make myself sound happy, so my voice came out all creaky.

"Hey," Enzo said again, but this time, he grabbed my chin and made me look over at him. I didn't even fight it; I didn't have the strength to.

Enzo took in my puffy eyes, my ruined make up, my red nose and cheeks, and something changed in him. I didn't know what it was...rage, maybe? Worry?

Whatever it was, Enzo gently let go of my chin and opened the passenger door again. "I'll be right back," He said quickly, and he got out of the car.

I used the opportunity to let myself cry again. I just lost the love of my life all over again, but this time it was worse, because he wasn't dead; he was very much alive and didn't want me anymore.

Enzo returned maybe five minutes later, and opened the driver's door. "Let me drive, Juliet."

I sniffled hard, gripping the steering wheel. "No, I can drive. I'm fine."

"Juliet..."

"No! I'm fine!" I snapped, looking up at him. Somehow, it brought on another wave of tears, and I broke down in front of Enzo. He gently took my hands off of the steering wheel, and supported me as he took me over to the passenger side. He opened the door, and sat me down inside. Then, he buckled my belt for me before shutting the door and sliding into the driver's side.

I struggled to keep my tears back now that we were driving, but I eventually just let myself cry. Enzo didn't say a word as he drove, he just let me sit there and sob.

"Wh-what did I do _wrong_?" I hiccupped. "I loved him. Everything is falling apart around me and he was the only thing I was certain of."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Juliet," Enzo tried to assure me. "Stefan is an idiot who has no idea what he's missing out on."

I scoffed. "That's really all you got? That's the oldest line in the book!"

"Fine!" Enzo said. "Look, I don't want to hurt you, but maybe letting go of Stefan will be good. He's been long gone, Jules. You are a wonderful young woman who deserves so much better than him."

His words actually made me feel a little bit better. Enzo reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. And I let him.

Who would have thought that I'd be getting reassurance from _Enzo_?

He was right about one thing, though.

I deserved a whole lot better.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Okay, I know, more angst! But just to let you guys know, Juliet isn't going to go crawling back to Stefan after what happens with Ivy. She is gonna make him **_**work for it like no tomorrow**_**.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	25. Welcome to Paradise

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the lateness, had some writer's block.

Also, if any of you know the song "Expired Lover" by Emily Kinney, the song fits Jefan (AT THE MOMENT JEFAN LIKE S6 JEFAN) SO WELL!

ALSO! I switch POVs for a quick second in the chapter. If you can't tell, it's the part with Stefan!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I sighed happily, ripping the last picture of me and my betraying boyfriend. "That's the last of it!" I declared as I threw it in the trash.

Elena eyed the huge garbage bag that I had filled with all the momentos of mine and Stefan's relationship. "Are you sure you aren't going a _little _bit overboard?"

"Of course not," I said. "I'm being perfectly rational. Cutting out a tretcherous ex-boyfriend? This is completely sane. It's what I have to do to try and move on."

"You could cut Stefan a little slack," She suggested. "He just lost his brother. Granted, said brother was a souless, homicidal maniac, but still."

I just stared at her a little oddly. I spent the whole night crying to her and Caroline after we had gone out, and she was really upbeat and joyful. Not having Damon in her life made the air around her different. She was _happy_.

So why did it feel weird?

I guess I must have been staring for too long, because Elena said, "What? Is something wrong?"

I snapped out of my daze. "No! Nothing's wrong. It's just...seeing someone else without telling your ex-girlfriend has _nothing_ to do with Damon." I checked my watch and winced. "Yikes, is that really the time? I need to go, I'm having breakfast with a friend."

"Who? That Adam guy?" She asked. "I met him this morning when I went to go get coffee. He recognized my name from you mentioning me." She brought her coffee cup to her lips. "He's cute."

I rolled my eyes. "Not funny. And no, I'm not having breakfast with Adam. I'm having breakfast with...Enzo."

Yeah, you heard me, Enzo.

Elena nearly spat out her coffee. "What? You have one road trip together and now you're breakfast buddies?"

I shrugged. "I guess. He's the one person that I know that hates Stefan as much as I do."

Elena gave me a look. "You're not gonna hate him forever."

I lifted a shoulder. "The _old_ Juliet wouldn't have hated him forever. The new one says, 'Screw him'."

"But _I_ know my sister," She argued. "You'll forgive him."

I sighed quietly. "Elena, he hurt me. He hurt me in absolutely the _worst_ way possible." I adjusted my purse on my shoulder. "That's not something I can forgive. Listen, I gotta go. Enzo is just as impatient as I am."

Elena sighed in defeat. "Fine. But you _will_ be at the swimming hole today, right? You can invite Adam and Enzo!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll try. That's all I can say."

"No, you'll _do_," She pressed. "Come on, if I can get _Ivan_ to go to the swimming hole, I sure as hell can make _you_."

* * *

"Wanna go over the rules one more time?" I asked Enzo as I dug into my pie. We were at the little diner on campus, since we couldn't be in Mystic Falls. Well, at least Enzo couldn't be in Mystic Falls.

"Sure," He started. "Rule 1, don't mention Elena was madly in love with Damon or you'll kill me."

"Perfect," I nodded.

"Rule 2, don't really reference Damon at all of you'll kill me."

"You're doing great."

"Rule 3, wear sunscreen and-"

"Hold up," I cut in. "Can you be serious for more than two minutes? This is about my sister's wellbeing. Do I matter to you at all that you'll take this seriously?" I asked.

"Alright, alright," Enzo gave in, and I smirked in victory. If I could control Enzo, I was already getting more powerful.

"Why did she do this again?" He asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Elena thinks that this is the best way for her to keep living her life," I explained. "And I totally support it. My way of moving on is destroying everything, erasing people is hers. We all got our ways of coping."

"What exactly did you destroy? Your memories of Stefan?" He asked.

My heart clenched at the name, but I curled my fingers to try and keep my anger in. "New rule: Never mention that cheating traitor's name ever again or-"

"Or you'll kill me," Enzo finished. "Got it."

He stood up to leave, and a red spot on his shirt glistened from the light coming in from the window. "Wait, is that blood or pie? Please tell me it's the pie."

"Hmm," He pondered. "That would be..." He prodded the red liquid and brought it to his lips. He sucked on his fingers. "Shirley. A special off the menu item. This little diner is surprisingly well stocked."

I stood up and walked over to him. "Please tell me that you fed and erased."

"Funny thing about that," Enzo said. "The last part isn't necessary if you do the first part right."

I groaned. "You killed her?" I angrily whispered.

"Oh, don't act all shocked," Enzo scoffed.

"I'm sorry that murder shocks me," I argued. "Enzo, how could you be so irresponsible?"

"Don't lecture me," He said. "We may have pretended to be a couple, but we're really not."

"No, we're not, but I _am_ your friend," I said. "I'm just trying to help you keep a low profile."

"Thanks, Tinkerbell, but I got it covered," He said. He patted me on the shoulder, and walked off.

I growled as I sat back down. What did I honestly expect?

"Let me a guess," A new voice said, and I turned my head to see Adam walking over with two muffins in his hands. I smiled as he handed me one, taking a seat in the chair previously occupied by Enzo. "That's the complicated boyfriend you told me about?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, he isn't. He's just a very infuriating friend. That complicated boyfriend is now my _ex_-boyfriend."

Adam gave me a sad look. "Sorry to hear it."

"I am too," I huffed as I bit into the muffin. I was playing with the wrapper when I remembered Elena's earlier suggestion. "Hey. Are you busy this afternoon?"

"I was planning on studying for a test that I have next week. Why?"

"Well, some friends and I were planning on going to the swimming hole. Did you maybe wanna come?" I asked.

Adam thought about it. "My shift doesn't end until three, but sure. I'll just come later."

I got filled with a sudden joy. "Great! I mean, cool. I'll see you there?" I asked as I stood up to leave.

He nodded. "I just said you would, didn't I?"

"Hey, sass is _my_ thing, got it?" I said, pointing a finger at him.

He smirked, putting his hands up in surrender. "Hey, whatever floats your boat. I'll see you later."

I rolled my eyes at him, but there was a smile tugging on my lips as I left.

* * *

I made it to the swimming hole, and just as I was going to go take a swim, Elena grabbed my arm and dragged me into the forest. She called the rest of our friends, but wouldn't say why. She just said she had a surprise that would make things seem like 'old times.'

But that was the thing. It _wasn't_ like old times. Things were just too different.

Elena was trying to call someone else, but I didn't know who. She sighed as the person didn't answer. She sat down on the log next to me. "Stefan's not answering. He _said_ he'd be here."

My eyes bugged out of my head. "Stefan's here?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to apologize to you," She explained.

I mock laughed, standing up. "Like I'd _ever_ accept that jerkwad's apology!"

"Come on, Jules. I'm sure he feels bad," Elena tried backing him up. "Why else would he want to apologize?"

"Why should I have to accept his apology?" I threw back. "He _cheated_ on me, Elena! How would _you_ like it if Da-" I instantly stopped myself. I couldn't believe I almost blew the secret! How, I was shit at this. I quickly corrected myself. "How would you like it if _your _boyfriend cheated on you?"

Elena didn't get the chance to answer because Matt, Tyler, Caroline, and Ivan showed up.

"Hey, have you guys seen Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Didn't even know he was back," Matt answered.

Elena looked over at me, and I gave her a look that said, 'you should have expected this one'.

"So," Tyler started, to clear up the air. "Wanna fill us in on what we're doing here?"

"You don't remember this place?" Elena asked us. "Okay, Ivan won't remember this place, but the rest of you? We used to sneak off here and get wasted while our parents were outside grilling? Granted, we all have a few less parents, but," She stood up, holding Jell-O shots in her hands. She held them out to Matt and Tyler. "We can still have fun."

"Actually, I can't," Tyler revealed. "I'm working on my rage issues and this wouldn't help."

Elena looked over at Matt.

"My buddy's wasted and I have training tomorrow," He offered.

She turned to Ivan.

"I got a test tomorrow," He said. "I can't affored the hangover."

She went to Caroline.

"I have a job interview tomorrow," She said in response.

Elena sighed. "Okay, I don't want to sound like an alcoholic, but I_ do_ want a shot, so will _someone_ do one with me?"

I rolled my eyes, and went over to my sister. "I will," I answered, and she happily handed me one.

"Bottom's up!" She said as we both downed them.

I literally felt so much better after the shot. Hmm. Maybe I should return to alcohol...

No, Jules, no. _Remember Doctor Maxfield._

"Okay, this was fun, but I'm gonna take off," I said as I stood up.

"No!" Elena protested. "You just got here! We're having fun, aren't we, guys?"

Elena looked around at all of us, and no one gave her a response. She sighed in defeat. "Fine. Maybe this was just a big mistake. I just wanted to spend an afternoon acting like we're all not drifting apart."

I wrapped an arm around Elena. "I'm sorry you feel like that. But we've all got to move on with our lives. We can't spend our whole lives in the past." I stood up. "I'm gonna go. I mean, I'm gonna stay at the swimming hole for a bit, but then I'm gonna go. I'm just not really up for partying today." I gave her a look. "I'm sorry, Elena."

"It's okay," She said. "I get it. You need time. Go on."

I gave her and the rest of my friends an encouraging smile, and turned around to leave. I could hear from behind me Matt, Tyler, and Ivan all leaving too.

Elena was right. We _were_ drifting apart.

* * *

I eventually met up with Enzo, and I had sent him to go get more ice when Adam showed up.

"Hey!" I said as he came over. "Is it three o'clock already?"

He nodded. "Yup. So, what do we do?"

"Um, swim, eat, drink, repeat," I said.

"Not to be 'that guy', but you should really wait at least an hour after eating before you go swimming," He said.

I gave him a look. "Well, you just _were_ 'that guy' so your whole point makes no sense."

"I was just trying to make you laugh," He replied. "You looked like you needed it."

I felt good enough to give him a smile. "It got a smile out of me. Happy?"

"Very," He said. "I'm going to go get a drink. I'll talk to you later?"

"I'll be here," I answered. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see who had texted me.

It was Enzo, saying my least favourite sentence.

_We have a problem._

* * *

When I went to go figure out what that problem was, I saw Stefan's back, and it nearly sent me running in the opposite direction. I really thought I'd never see Stefan again after that night.

You know what? No. I refused to chicken out.

So instead, I used a binding spell to tense up Stefan's muscles so bad that he dropped the gun that was in his hands that he had pointing at Enzo. I ran over to the boys, and stood in the middle of them. "Staging an intervention isn't exactly how I planned spending my afternoon. Wanna tell me what you're doing?"

Stefan just glared at Enzo. "Why don't you ask your new _boyfriend_?" He said, and he turned around and left.

Was he _serious_? I only _pretended_ to be with Enzo, he was actually _with _Ivy!

I turned around and looked at Enzo. "What did you do?" I asked.

He sighed. "I _may_ have...sort of...killed Ivy."

The words took a second to register. And then...

"You _WHAT_?"

"Look, you were upset, and I felt bad, and-"

"And that _still_ did not give you the right to kill her!" I argued.

"Are you serious? You're _defending_ the girl that your boyfriend was cheating on you with?" Enzo asked "What happened to the 'no more being the old Juliet Gilbert' stuff that you keep insisting on?"

"The old Juliet and the new Juliet _both_ don't like murder!" I defended. "Murder has _never_ been a good thing!" I sighed in frustration, running my hands through my hair. I tried keeping my anger under control. "Listen. I think that it's great that you care about me so much, and I'm not going to act like a saint because I've killed too. But that still doesn't make killing the answer."

"Fine!" Enzo said. "Go and have fun with your old buddy Stefan and act like he still cares about you, not me."

He turned around and left.

* * *

"_Stefan Salvatore_!" I boomed as I ran after him. I went looking for him and had nearly lost him but I quickly caught up with him. And I had a few bones to pick with him. "Stop!"

He eventually did stop walking and gave me time to run over to him so that I could stand in front of him. "I don't know why I'm apologizing, but I didn't know about what Enzo did to Ivy and I'm _sorry_, but-"

"But what?" Stefan asked. "What? I was fooling myself, I was using her as an escape?"

"If you had given me a chance to finish I was going to say, 'Killing Enzo is not going to bring her back'," I told him.

"Since when were you Team Enzo?" He asked. "Since you two started dating?"

My jaw dropped. Was he _for real_? "Hey, I was only _pretending _to be dating Enzo, _you_ were the one who was really sleeping with another girl!" I stormed, and I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "Why are you so obsessed with Enzo anyways? What is killing him going to do for you?"

"It'll stop him from reminding me of my brother," He answered. "I kill him, I can leave this place again."

I gave him a hard glare. "If you kill Enzo, I'll _never _forgive you. Just know that."

"Why do you care so much about him?" Stefan boomed. "He's a _bad person_!"

"So are you, yet I still liked you!" I threw back in his face. "He may be a bad friend but at _least_ he's a better friend than you are!"

"Fine, you know what? Go have fun with your friend Enzo. I'm going to go live my life," He said, and he turned around to start walking away.

I had no idea how he managed to do it, but I was crying tears out of pure frustration. And the next words out of my mouth couldn't be stopped. "God, I hate you so much! I wish I had never met you!"

My words stopped Stefan momentarily, but then he kept on walking, taking little steps though.

I balled my hands into fists, turned, and walked away. I didn't know how many ways that there was left for Stefan to hurt me, but I vowed that I'd stop letting him.

* * *

Stefan knew he had messed up, big time. He really thought that the best way for Juliet to leave him was if he made her mad enough to want to. It worked, but why did his heart hurt so much? This was what he _wanted_.

So why did it feel so wrong?

As he turned to walk away from her, her next words stopped his heart. "God, I hate you so much! I wish I had never met you!"

Stefan actually stopped in his tracks, and clenched his hands into fists. Those words cut deeper than any knife ever could. What he _really_ wanted to do was run over to Juliet and kiss her and beg her forgiveness.

And that's exactly why he couldn't. He had to let her go. If he was going to let this town go, she had to be the first thing that he disconnected himself from.

So, keeping his tears at bay, he forced himself to keep walking away from possibly the best thing that had ever happened to him.

But when he was sure he heard her starting to walk away, he turned around for the briefest second to watch her slightly shaking form disappear into the blink of an eye.

It pained him to watch her walk away, it really did. He felt tears pool up in his eyes because he knew.

He had lost her forever.

* * *

I furiously wiped at my eyes as I made it into the clearing. I bumped into someone and loudly sniffled as I turned around to apologize. "I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay," Adam said, and I felt so relieved when I saw that it was just him.

I guess it was pretty obvious I was crying, because Adam asked, "Hey, are you okay? You're crying."

I nodded quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine," I wiped at my tears again. "It's just...ex-boyfriend problems."

"Do you want me to kick his ass?" Adam offered, and I laughed to myself. It's not like Adam could go up against a vampire.

"No, no, it's fine," I sniffled, completely drying my face. "I think I'm gonna be okay."

"Let me at least give you a hug," Adam said, holding his arms out. "You deserve one."

I gave him a smile as I walked over into his arms. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, and he put his arms around my waist as he gave me a tight squeeze. "Feeling any better?"

I nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah. I really needed that hug." I pulled back. "It's been a long, draining day, so I think I'm just going to go home and hang out with my sister. But have a coffee ready for me tomorrow morning."

Adam smiled. "I will, and remember, I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks, Adam," I said sincerely and gave him another hug. I waved goodbye to him, went to my car, and drove home. _Without_ shedding a single tear.

I got back to the dorm and went over to my bed. I reached under, and pulled out a photo album. I sat on my bed, and opened it up. It was filled with pictures since the day I was born (or, well, came to live with the Gilberts) up to the present day. I stopped on the pages with pictures from our high school graduation, and pulled out the one that had all of us-Me, Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, and Matt. It was a moment where we were all truly _happy_.

I know that I said it wasn't healthy to live in the past...but the past _sure_ sounded good right about now.

The door opened, and in walked Elena. "Hey, Caroline's coming back over. That girl Sarah I attacked? She's loose in Mystic Falls and knows that I'm a vampire and that I attacked her. We're going to go check around the border of the town and we could really use your help-wait, what are you doing?"

She walked over to me and saw me holding the picture. She frowned as she examined it. "I thought you said you were getting rid of all of your pictures of Stefan."

I sighed. "I know I did. I wanted to rip this one up, I really did, but look at us," I said as I held it up more so she could see it. "We're all so happy. That's not a memory that I want to get rid of, even if Stefan is in it." I let my fingers travel to Bonnie's face. "I miss Bonnie. And I miss our house. I miss our parents. I just miss the way life used to be."

"Aren't _you_ the one who said we had to try and move forward?" Elena pointed out.

I nodded. "Yeah, I did, but I get why it's so hard to let go now," I explained. "It's because you are always sure of what happened in the past. You never know what's going to happen in the future. In the past I was so sure of Stefan and I, and now..."

Elena wrapped her arm around my shoulder and brought me close to her. I leaned my head on her shoulder and snuggled in real close. "I'm sorry that you feel this way, Jules. But, come on. You're Juliet Gilbert. Aren't you the one who always has hope and compassion for everyone?"

I sighed again. "People change, Elena. Stefan certainly did."

"Not too much, though," She argued. "I feel like we shed pieces of ourselves all the time as we grow up, but we're all desperate to hold on to a piece of our former selves, the piece of us that's been with us since we were born. And your piece is hope." She squeezed me tighter to her. "Never let that go."

I huffed. "I thought you were going into medicine, not psychology. Will you just let me be miserable tonight?"

"Nope," She said, popping the 'p'. "Tonight, we are going to go look for Sarah, and tomorrow, you are going to shake yourself out of this funk and _do_ something."

She stood up, and extended her hand to me. "Are you up for the challenge?"

I looked to Elena's hand, back to her, then back to her hand.

Elena was right about one thing.

People didn't change too much. I wanted to be a different person, but there was one aspect that would always be true about me.

I loved a challenge.

I reached out and took her hand.

* * *

**TBC...**

**MORE JEFAN ANGST! It's glorious, really. **

**I'm going to try and get more episodes done, I promise!**

**This chapter has been dedicated to HOAfan8509, who inspired me to finish this chapter as soon as I possibly could! I hope you enjoyed it!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	26. Black Hole Sun

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the lateness, MORE writer's block.

I am SO sorry for the shortness but I had no idea what to do with this chapter and I just wanted it out of the way so that I could start working on better episodes.

P.S. I switch to Third Person POV at a point in this chapter. If you can't tell, it's at the very end!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Listen Enzo, I know you're pissed, but you can't ignore me forever!" I protested into the phone. Enzo hadn't been answering any of my calls and all I wanted to do was apologize to him for defending Stefan. "Now, I _never_ thought I'd say this and I'm only going to say it once and I'll deny it forever, but I miss you. I'm going to keep calling you until you pick up. We really gotta talk."

The door to my dorm opened, and Caroline walked in. "Hey, girly!" She greeted. "Guess what?"

"What?" I asked as I started sorting my laundry. My classes had been canceled for the day, so I invited Caroline over to spend the weekend with me.

"I got you a date!" She said happily.

I literally froze in my spot. I turned my head over to her. "You did _what_?"

She clapped her hands. "I know how bummed out you've been about Stefan lately, so obviously you need some cheering up!"

I rolled my eyes. "Caroline, I don't need to be going out with anybody right now. I'm sorry, but tell your friend I can't go."

"I can't!" She protested. "He's too excited about it. Please, just spend an hour having dinner with him. If you don't like him, you don't have to see him again. I don't like seeing you in this funk."

"Funk?" I repeated. "I am _not_ in a funk."

"Oh, you are _totally_ in a funk," Caroline retorted. "Please? For me?"

She made puppy eyes, and even curled her lips into a pout. I huffed. No fair! She _knew_ that I _always _gave into her puppy eyes, even when we were kids!

"Fine," I said, throwing my shirt into my drawers. "What's the guy's name?"

"I think it'll be more of a surprise to _not_ know!" She said gleefully. "It is a _blind_ date, remember?"

* * *

"I feel so stupid," I huffed to myself as I put on my earrings.

"You know how Caroline can be when she doesn't get her way," Ivan said over speakerphone.

"I just can't believe I agreed to this stupid date," I complained as I slipped on a necklace.

"Who knows? It might just be fun," He argued.

"Aren't you supposed to ward boys away from me as my brother?"

"Well, I _would_, but Caroline told me that if I interfered with this plan, she'd kill me, and I _want_ to become a teacher, thank you very much."

I pinned my hair up as Ivan asked, "What time are you supposed to be there?"

"At..." I checked the clock on my wall. "Now. Crap!"

"Better get going. Have fun, but not too much fun, okay? I don't want to be an uncle."

"And I'm not having this discussion with you," I said as I grabbed my purse. I snatched my phone off of my dressing table. "I'll talk to you later."

We both hung up, and I left my dorm. Caroline told me that the guy would meet me at the coffee shop on campus. Apparently, he was a Whitmore student. She met him last year at a study group, and thought that he'd be 'perfect' for me.

I just wasn't in the mood to be dating.

I huffed as I walked into the cafe. _Caroline better love me_, I thought to myself as I looked around for my date. Caroline said that he would be waiting at the table with a red flower in the middle...

I found it, but it was empty. I figured the guy wasn't here yet, so I just sat down at the table and pulled out my phone.

I sent another text to Enzo (I was going to resort to selfie bombing if he didn't answer his freaking phone) when I heard the chair across from me being pulled out. I lowered my phone from my face to see my mystery date, and gasped when saw who it was.

"Adam?" I asked.

He looked equally as confused. "Jules?" He asked as he sat down. "Are you my blind date that Caroline set up?"

"Yeah," I said in disbelief. _Adam_ was the guy that Caroline thought I'd be perfect with?

"Oh my God," He laughed. "I can't believe her."

"I can't either," I said awkwardly. "So...are you saying you want to call off the date?"

"No! No," He immediately said. "I mean, do _you_ want to call off the date?"

"No, no," I responded. "I just thought if it was too weird..."

"I think getting to know each other better is a good thing, don't you?" He asked.

I smiled a little. "Yeah, it is."

He smiled too. "Then let's get this thing started."

* * *

I had to admit: I was having _fun_. Adam was a really cool dude, even cooler than what I thought he'd be.

His Mom and Dad were split up, and he alternated between living with his Mom in Hawaii and his Dad by Whitmore. His Dad was, can you believe it, from Mystic Falls, and also attended Whitmore. It was like his Dad's dream for Adam to go to and graduate from the same college that he did. His Mom respected that, and now Adam only visits his Mom and Step-father every summer. We actually met a few days after he came back at the coffee shop.

He roomed with his best friend Alex, whom he had known since high school. He was majoring in forensic anthropology, and he actually had to explain to me that apparently it was nothing like Bones.

He has a little sister named Erica, and he used to have an older brother named Colin, but he died when Adam was young, which led to the split up of his parents.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "How old was he?"

"Not that much older than me," He revealed. "It was a car crash. The other guy was drunk and missed the red light."

"If it makes you feel better, my parents are dead," I offered. "Biological _and_ adoptive."

"That sucks," He said. "It doesn't really make me feel better, though. Just kind of makes me sad for you."

"Yeah, yeah, bring on the pity," I said jokingly. "I've already dealt with so many variations of sorry than I can count."

He gave a half hearted laugh. "People just don't get it, do they? You can say you're sorry as many times as you want, you can make as many casseroles as your heart desires, but that doesn't distract from the fact that someone you love is dead, nor does it bring them back."

"Exactly," I agreed. I smiled a little, and leaned back in my chair. "You know, I didn't exactly think that we would be talking about death on our date, did you?"

He laughed. "No, I didn't, actually. What does that say about us?"

We talked and laughed a lot more, and I found myself completely forget about you know who.

That is, until he showed up.

He just strolled right up to our table, grabbed another chair and scooted it right into the table. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Stefan asked as he sat down.

"Actually-" Adam started, but Stefan cut him off.

"Great!" He said. He grabbed the menu. "What's good here?"

"You leaving," I bit. "Stefan, you're interrupting our date."

"Oh, you're on a date?" He asked. "Huh. I would have never guessed."

"You guys know each other?" Adam asked, gesturing between the two of us.

"Unfortunately," I answered. "Adam, meet the complicated ex-boyfriend. This is Stefan."

Adam's face dropped. "Oh."

I nodded. "Yup, but don't worry, I'll handle this." I turned to Stefan. "Stefan, book it."

"I actually think I should get to know your date," He said, putting down the menu.

"Stefan, a date is between two people, not three," I said, gritting my teeth. "Leave. Adam and I are having a good time, and it'd be going even better if you left."

"But I'm doing the ex-boyfriend thing," He retorted. "You know, invading on their ex's dates."

I growled, trying to keep my magic under control. I had gotten a lot better at controlling it, but I was seriously getting angry. "Stefan, go."

"Actually," Adam interrupted, checking his watch. "It's kind of late, and I have a study session earlier tomorrow. I have a killer test on Monday."

"But-" I protested, but he stood up and walked over to me.

"Goodnight, Jules," He said, pressing a tenative kiss to my cheek. He gave Stefan a nod, who just glared at him in response. Adam grabbed his coat, gave me one final wave, and walked out the door.

Stefan sighed. "Finally, I thought he'd never leave."

I turned around, grabbed my glass, and chucked the water right in Stefan's face. "That's for being an arrogant asshat. What happened to living your life? You made it very clear that you didn't want me to be a part of it."

"Well, I kind of need a favour," He explained as he wiped off his face.

My jaw dropped. "On what planet, in what universe, in what _existence_ would I help you? All you've done is stomp on my heart."

"I know, but-"

"No; no buts. You don't get it, Stefan. I'm trying to move on with my life too. Move on from _you_. I know that I said I hate you, but the truth is, I still have feelings for you. I mean, I've been in love with you for over two years. I'm trying to get over those feelings and you being here certainly doesn't help."

"Just help me with this, and I'll leave you alone," He said. "I promise."

I considered his offer, and sighed. "What is it?"

* * *

Adam opened the door to his dorm, and had to avoid the pillow that came sailing towards his head. He groaned. "Do you _have_ to do that every time I come into the room?"

"I need target practice," His roommate and best friend, Alex answered from his bed.

"Does that target have to be my head?" He asked as he pulled off his jacket and threw it on the chair they had in their room.

Alex ignored the question. "How'd it go?"

"It was going great until her ex-boyfriend showed up," Adam grumbled. He really felt like he and Juliet were getting somewhere until Stefan interrupted.

"That sucks, dude," Alex grimaced. "I have an idea on how to get back at him. I can turn him into a toad."

Adam's senses became invaded by the candles that were glowing in his dorm as he sat down on Alex's bed. "Though I'm sure she'd have no problem with it, don't. Besides," Adam flicked at his friend's grimoire that was in front of him. "I don't think there's a spell in that book of yours that can turn Stefan into a toad."

"I can look," Alex offered as he focused on keeping the candles glowing.

"Nah," Adam dismissed. "I'm not the type of person that uses their witch friends to do their bidding."

"Warlock," Alex corrected.

"What, is there a difference?" Adam asked.

"Uh, yeah," Alex said. "Warlocks are guys. Witches are girls."

Adam held his hands up. "Whatever. All I know is that you using your magic won't help me. I don't want to involve Juliet in your magic business. She's normal, and I want to keep it that way."

"You're normal, too," Alex defended as he turned a page in the grimoire without breaking his hold on the candle.

"Uh, I don't know about you, but being a vampire-slayer-in-training isn't normal," Adam argued. "And trying to get revenge for your brother's vampire murder isn't normal either," Adam said. "Besides, you're not normal, too. We're a package deal."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Fine, but don't come complaining to me that it's my fault you never get laid."

* * *

**TBC...**

**To be honest I didn't want to deal with Stefan and Elena's drama and stuff this episode.**

**So to make up for the shortness, a surprise!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	27. The World Has Turned and Left Me Here

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **You're probably getting sick of my apologies

I'll keep saying them as long as they stay true!

There's only like, six more episodes for me to catch up on so hopefully I can do it! HOPEFULLY!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"So, you're just gonna _do_ this favour for Stefan?" Caroline asked as she came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body to keep from dripping everywhere.

I nodded, sitting down on my bed. "If it'll keep Stefan out of my hair, then I'll do anything."

Caroline's face turned into one of concern. "Are you sure you want him out of your hair?" She asked. "I mean, you guys _were _in love..."

"That was before he cheated on me," I said, crossing my arms. "Now all I want is to be free of him."

Caroline wanted to ask something else, but there was a knock on the door. "That must be him," I said as I pushed myself off of the bed and went over to the door.

I opened in, and Stefan came barrelling in, a large trunk in tow. "What's with the trunk?" I asked as he dropped it and went over to the window.

"Hang on," He said as he shut the blinds.

Caroline came over and opened the door, and we both gasped when we saw _Ivy_ pop out of it.

"Where am I?" Ivy asked. "What did you do?"

I pointed at the bitch. "What the hell happened to her? I thought Enzo killed her."

"He didn't just kill her," Stefan said. "He _turned _her."

I groaned, looking up at the ceiling. When I got my hands on Enzo he was _dead_.

"Then Stefan broke my neck, and I woke up in a trunk," Poison Ivy said.

"Right, so this is the favour," Stefan said to me, pointing to the girl in the trunk.

I looked over at Stefan, giving him a glare. "_This _is your favour? You want me to baby sit the human turned vampire slut that you _cheated _on me with?"

"Hey!" Ivy protested.

"Oh, you better count your blessing that I didn't say anything worse because _trust me_, when it comes to you I have a wide vocabulary," I spat.

"I just need you and Caroline to watch over her while I get Luke to make her a daylight ring. Just teach her control, show her the ropes," Stefan explained.

Caroline shook her head. "Wait, when did _I_ get dragged into this?"

"You're Jules's best friend," He argued. "You'd do anything to help her. Besides, Ivy's new. She could lose control at any time."

"I think I can handle myself against Ivy," I defended myself.

I grabbed Stefan's arm and pulled him away from Caroline and Ivy. "Why should I have to clean up your mess?"

"If you want me out of your hair, you'll do the favour," He pointed out.

"I meant like pick up your dry cleaning, or buy you lunch, not look after that _Plant Skank_!" I argued.

"Uh, I can hear you," Ivy pointed out. "I can hear everything, like, perfectly."

I turned around and pointed a very threatening finger at her. "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut that cake hole _right now_." I spun back to face Stefan. "Did you happen to forget that there is a vampire hunter on the loose right now?"

"He's not here, he's in Savannah," Stefan told me. "Which is why _we're_ not."

"You know the _real_ tragedy in all this?" Ivy began as she sat on my bed. "I've watched 500 Days of Summer-"

"Shut up!" Stefan and I both yelled at the same time, which did shut her up.

"Look, Tripp Cooke has somehow decided to become the Eastern seaboard's self proclaimed vampire hunter," Stefan said to Caroline and I. He gestured to Caroline, Ivy, and himself. "None of us are safe if we can't control ourselves. If anyone can help protect her, it's you. You care about everyone, remember? Hell, you even showed _Katherine Pierce _some respect on her deathbed. What do you say?"

I know I vowed to never be that Juliet Gilbert again, but...Ivy _did_ need my help. And if it got Stefan out of my hair, then so be it. "Fine. But only for a couple of hours because Adam wanted to take me out tonight."

Stefan's face dropped. "You're still seeing that guy?"

I crossed my arms, not even trying to hide my smirk from getting a reaction out of him. "What, you're not jealous, are you? You're not my boyfriend anymore, remember?"

Stefan clenched his jaw, but kept his mouth shut. "I guess not. So, you'll do it?"

"I'll do it," I answered, though I wasn't happy at all with it. "But if something happens to her because I get pissed I am _not_ to be held responsible."

* * *

I had had _enough_.

I had literally had no patience left with Ivy, so I escaped to the bathroom where I took my second shower of the day to avoid listening to her whiny bitching for at least fifteen minutes.

When I came out, I was drying my hair with a towel, and stopped in my tracks at the sight of Ivy's clothes. More specifically, what she was wearing.

I looked over at Caroline, who was rummaging for blood bags in the space where she and Elena kept them. I pointed at Ivy. "Why is that bitch wearing my dress?" I asked her. I turned and looked at Ivy. "Why the hell are you wearing my dress?"

"I needed something new to wear," Ivy innocently said. "Those dirty clothes just wouldn't do. Especially if we want to party."

I took a deep breath and counted for ten seconds. "Look, I'm trying very hard not to kill you, and you are making it very difficult. So get the _hell_ out of my dress before I make like an ugly stepsister and _rip it off of you_."

Ivy huffed as she crossed her arms. "Then what do you suppose I wear?"

I went over to Caroline's drawers and pulled out the first dress I could put my hands on. "Here," I said, tossing it to her.

"Hey!" Caroline protested when she looked over. "That's _my_ dress!"

"And _her_ blood is gonna be on my hands unless she gets out of _mine_," I snarled as I pointed at Ivy.

"Jeez, _someone _needs to get laid," Ivy mumbled to herself as she made her way to the bathroom.

I growled as I turned and looked at Caroline. "Why can't I kill her again?"

"Because you need her alive if you want Stefan out of your hair," Caroline answered as she sat down at our shared desk.

I groaned as I covered my face with my hands. I pulled my face out as I said, "Look, do you know where my phone is? Stefan isn't here yet and I'm supposed to be going with Adam to the Whitmore party right about now, but I can't until Bitchvy is gone. So, I have to cancel."

Caroline reached behind her on the desk and tossed me my phone. "So, things are going good with Adam, then?" She asked hopefully.

I smiled as I clicked on Adam's name."Caroline, Adam and I already know each other. We met at the coffee shop where he works a couple of months ago. We're friends, and now we're trying this dating thing."

"Think it'll turn into anything serious?" Caroline asked as she sipped from her blood bag.

I shrugged slightly. "I don't know. I mean, this is fun, and I really like Adam, but I don't know if it'd ever be anything _real_. No matter how much I want to have sex."

"You won't sleep with Adam?" Caroline asked. "Why not?"

"Oh believe me, he's asked, but he backed down as soon as I told him I wasn't ready for that," I answered. "I just don't feel right sleeping with him when we've only been on a few dates."

"You slept with Klaus without going on any dates," Caroline pointed out.

"And so did you," I threw back in her face. "Besides, that was different. I was lonely. I wanted to feel something for someone other than Stefan because all I was feeling was hurt and rejection," I finished as I typed up my text to Adam.

_Hey, gotta take a rain check tonight. Last minute babysitting job. Non avoidable. Another time?_

His response was quick.

_Sure, any time you're free_.

I was so lucky he was understanding.

"How is it different?" Caroline asked. "You're literally in the same position you were in a year ago. All you wanted was to feel something for someone other than Stefan, which is related to Adam, because you're feeling hurt from his rejection, which translates into Ivy."

My fingers froze as I was typing. I looked over at Caroline in confusion. "It's not the same thing."

"Of course it is," Caroline said, smiling tenatively. She stood up and came over to me, putting her hands on my arms. "You feel the same way about Stefan that you did two years ago. You got over the hurt and rejection last time; you'll do it again this time."

"I won't, Caroline," I said, trying to shake off her reasoning. It was really starting to get to me. There was a tiny flame of hope in the pit of my stomach that I desperately wanted to put out, but it was stupid and wouldn't. "I won't."

"But you _will_," She insisted. "Because for you, Stefan's it. He's the _one_ for you."

"But who says I'm the _one_ for _him_?" I asked, remembering the words Stefan told me that Tessa told him in regards to Silas. Silas was _Tessa_'s true love...she never said she was his.

Caroline put a knowing smile on her face. "What's different this time, than it was two years ago?"

"I don't know," I said. "We're not in Mystic Falls?"

"Stefan loves you too," She corrected. "You guys dated. You've kissed. Hell, you guys have done _more_."

"Actually, Stefan and I never really got to the whole 'done more' thing," I revealed, avoiding Caroline's eyes.

Her hands dropped from my arms. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"So the last time that you had sex...?"

"Was with Klaus right before he left for New Orleans," I answered. "We thought it'd be a great way to truly end things before we both started new points in our lives."

"Oh," Caroline said quietly, putting her hand to her mouth, obviously trying to her hide her shock.

"Well don't look _shocked_," I said sarcastically as the bathroom door opened and Ivy walked out.

"_This_ dress is a lot better," She said as she swirled around, watching the material dance around her.

"You better give it back, it's one of my favourites," Caroline warned her as she went over to grab Ivy a blood bag.

"Yeah, why are you so eager to get dressed up?" I asked as Caroline tossed her the blood bag. "We're not going anywhere because I already told you that we are _not_ going to the Whitmore party tonight."

"So you'd rather be stuck in a dorm with a newbie vampire?" Ivy asked as she undid the thingy on the blood bag.

"Trust me, the _last_ thing that I want to be doing is babysitting your worthless ass," I said bitterly. "I would rather be at the party with this great guy who is so much greater than Stefan-he really is-, not here with you. And the only reason that I'm doing this is to get Stefan out of my life."

"Do you really hate him that much?" Ivy asked as she sat down on Caroline's bed.

"Well Ivy, please tell me how you would handle _my_ situation. Your boyfriend disappears for four months without contacting you at all only for you to find out that he's been sleeping with another girl who is way less hot-yes, take offence," I said as I sat on my own bed next to Caroline.

"You can't hate him forever," Ivy said as she sipped from the blood bag.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I asked angrily. "Why can't anybody be on my side? The _only_ person who is on my side is the only person that I can't track down. This is crap," I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Maybe because it's true?" Ivy said. "Look, I'm sorry that I was with Stefan while you were his girlfriend. In my defence, I didn't know. But you can't be pissed at me for being with him while I had no idea."

"Oh trust me," I said. "You have know idea how easy it is for me to be pissed at you."

"You know what?" Ivy said as she sat up. "We need to get you a drink."

"What?" I asked.

"Yeah!" She said. "We need to get you to loosen up. Your strings are way too tight."

"First off, my strings are _not_ tight, I just don't want to party with someone who's guts I'd like to see on the floor," I pointed out. "Second off, alcohol and I haven't had the best relationship so I've sworn it off to the occassion. Besides, Stefan left you here so that you could practice being a vampire, not party. So, you know, practice, vamp speed, do whatever the hell it it that vampires do to train."

Ivy was standing in front of me in the blink of an eye. "Done. See? I'll be fine. You and Caroline have both programmed your numbers into my phone as my emergency witch and vampire contact. I know I burn in the sun, we covered compulsion, and snatch-eat-erase. Look, it's getting dark! Let's go party! You can teach me how to eat someone without killing them!" She said before she took another sip of blood.

Caroline and I just looked over at each other in disbelief. "Listen, Stefan's gonna be here soon and I don't want to lose you before I can hand you back off to him. Then, you will be free to do whatever the hell it is you want because you won't be my responsibilty anymore."

"Then can we at least play a board game or do something fun that's non-vampire related?" Ivy asked.

"Finally! A good idea," Caroline said as she went over to the cupboard where we kept our board games while I said and flopped back down on my bed. "What game do you want to play?" She asked.

"I don't know," Ivy sighed. "Scrabble?"

"We have Tournament, Classic, and Travel size," Caroline listed off our Scrabbles.

Before either of us could think, Ivy reached over and snapped Caroline's neck, temporarily killing her.

"Hey!" I protested, jumping off of the bed. I lifted my hand to use a spell to neutralize her, but vamp speed was no match for it. Ivy grabbed the back of my head faster than I could think, and clonked my head twice on my side table.

I felt my nose gush with blood and a bruise starting to form as she dropped my body to the ground and vamp sped out of the room. That was the last thing I remembered before I passed out.

* * *

When I came to, my whole head was throbbing, my nose especially. I turned my head slightly and saw that Caroline was still passed out. I gently pulled myself up using the side table that was my undoing and wiped at the blood that was smeared around my face. I looked in the mirror and frowned at the large purple and blue bruise that was now forming and getting even larger. There was not enough make up in the world to cover that up.

My nose wasn't broken, at least, I didn't think. The bleeding had stopped and most of it was dried, but some of it was still wet which suggested that the bleeding had only recently stopped. I gently prodded at it and it didn't hurt much unless I applied direct pressure. I dizzily made my way to the bathroom and cleaned my face up.

By the time that I was finished, Caroline had woken up. She looked around the room, disoriented. "What hit me?" She asked, rubbing her neck.

"Poison Ivy," I answered, bitterness in my tone. "Now what?"

"Well," Caroline started as I grabbed her hand and helped her off of the ground. "We call Stefan and go looking for her."

I took a quick peek out the window and it looked like the sun had been down for quite a while now. "The sun is gone! She could be anywhere right now!"

"Then we better start looking," Caroline suggested.

* * *

Caroline and I split up, and I left Stefan a few very angry voice mails about how I lost his problem but I was still being the bigger person and trying to find her.

After maybe two hours of roaming the streets, I heard a car pull up from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and sighed in relief when I saw that it was Stefan. "Well look what the cat dragged in!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up as he got out of his car.

"You lost her?" He asked as he strode over to me.

"_Now_ you listen to your voice mails?!" I screamed. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "No, I didn't _lose _her! The bitch snapped Caroline's neck and rammed my face into a table," I said, pointing up at my bruise.

Stefan's faced softened with concern and I knew he was going to ask about it, but I didn't give him the chance to.

"Where the hell have you been?" I asked him. "What were you _so _busy doing that it took you so long to get here?"

"I got caught up," He answered simply.

I scoffed. "Caught up with what?"

"Driving halfway out of town," He finished, and I felt like the words were a slap in my face.

If I had any shred of feelings left for Stefan, they were definitely gone now. "You were gonna skip town," I repeated, a look of half disbelief and half understanding on my face. "I should have known. That's all you know how to do anymore, isn't it, Stefan?"

He avoided my eyes. "I slid Ivy's daylight ring under your door-"

"Look at me when you're talking to me!" I bellowed, not quite sure what came over me. "This isn't about Ivy's stupid daylight ring! You know, you've done a lot of things to surprise me in the last four months, but I cannot _believe_ that you were just going to dump your new vampire girlfriend on to my front porch and then just dip out! Who the _hell_ are you?!"

"I'm just a guy who's trying to start over!" Stefan argued. "And then suddenly, you and Enzo show up and now I have hunters on my trail and a new vampire wants to kill me and everyone else in her path! And that's _not_ how someone starts over, Jules!" He yelled. "Besides, weren't _you_ the one who wanted me gone, out of your life forever?"

"Yeah, I did," I answered. "But a) not with your mess left behind with me, and b) I was beginning to start to think that I still wanted you around."

That certainly surprised him. "What?"

"In the two years that I've been in love with you, I had to suffer in silence while I saw you so happy with my sister. Then, when we started dating, I thought that was it. I thought _you_ were the one for _me_ and I thought _I_ was the one for _you_," I explained, tears building up in my eyes. "But I was stupid. I was so stupid to let myself fall in love with you because all you Salvatores do is _hurt people_. I have no idea who _you_ are and what you've done with the old Stefan, but I hate you."

"You're one to talk," Stefan said, pointing a finger in my face. "What happened to the whole 'I'm different, I'm not the old Juliet Gilbert anymore, she's dead'. What the hell happened to that?"

"I guess old habits just die hard," I answered, holding back my tears. "Like my decision to even consider forgiving what you had done to me. But now, after everything? I was _wrong_." I took a deep breath. "I mean what I said the night of the water hole. I wish I had never met you, because it's taking me _forever_ to get over you. I mean, there's this great guy that really likes me and I can't even let myself be with him as much as he wants to be with me because I'm still hung up over stupid _you_!" I pushed him hard in the chest and it shocked him so much that he couldn't keep his balance and fell onto the car door. "So please, just do the both of us a favour, the _biggest_ favour that one could possibly do in the whole world." I pointed at his car. "Get the hell back in your car, and drive to some far off land where I _never_ have to look at your face ever again."

Stefan didn't say anythng. He just nodded, and went over to his car. I finally let my tears escape me as he drove away, covering my face and letting out long sobs.

A small part of me wanted to forgive Stefan, but that part also knew that forgiving him would do nothing for me except cause me more heartbreak. He was still hell bent on leaving forever. There was nothing that was going to stop that.

My phone rang and I pulled myself together enough to pull it out of my back pocket. I looked at the number and sighed. "Did you find her?" I asked Caroline.

"_Yeah_," She answered. "_I'm going to go pick her up now. Hey, are you okay?_"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine," I said as I wiped my tears from my face.

"_No, you're crying. Jules, what's wrong?_" She asked.

"Nothing!" My voice cracked.

"_Look, Jules, I'm going to go get Ivy and send her on her merry way. You get back to the dorm and I'll take care of you, okay_?" She said.

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Okay."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Aww, poor Juliet.**

**But don't give up on them, dear readers! Jefan is just going through some rough patches that will start to get better when Damon comes back to life because he is **_**definitely**_** a Jefan shipper.**

**ALSO DAMON'S BACK NEXT CHAPTER, SO YAY!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	28. The More You Ignore me, The Closer I Get

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Ugh I'm sorry for not updating. The whole Romantic Steroline storyline has really been puzzling me and bringing me down because I'm having a hard time working around it. I'm sure I will, though.

OH! I switch POVS to Third person during the story and if you can't tell, it'll be the scene where Damon and Stefan are in the bar!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I squealed happily as I jumped right into Damon's waiting arms. "Damon, oh my God!" I said as Damon picked me up from the ground and swung me from side to side. I wrapped my legs around his waist. "I thought you were dead! When Alaric told me that you were back I didn't believe it!"

"Well, believe it, Witchy Gilbert," Damon said as he put me down and we pulled back from our hug.

"Oh, how I've missed the nicknames," I said as I punched him lightly on the arm.

"Oh, how I've missed your attitude," Damon said as he punched me back.

We were at the Whitmore campus, where Damon had decided to pop over for a little visit. I mean, I knew he came to see Elena, but ever since she found out what he was back, she'd been avoiding the dorm like the plague because she knew that that was going to be the first place that he looked for her. "So, what was it like, where ever you were?"

"Lonely," Damon said. "I was by myself over there for over four months."

"And...and Bonnie?" I asked, my heart slightly rising at the thought of my best friend.

He shook his head sadly. "Like I said, I was by myself. She wasn't there."

I closed my eyes and fought back my tears. "That means that she's found peace. Lord knows someone should."

Damon clapped his hands loudly. "Okay, enough of the depressing talk!" He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around so that we could walk out of the dorm. "I hear that my brother has made the biggest mistake of his life."

"Who did you hear that from?" I asked as we walked.

"Caroline, who else?" Damon answered. "Actually, her exact words were, 'Either you fix the problem with your brother or I'll fix it for him'."

"She's not lying," I allowed. "She explain everything?"

"Yup. About Savannah, Ivy, lying to you, avoiding you," Damon ticked off. "He's lucky that I haven't seen him yet since Caroline told me or I would kick his ass."

"Get in line," I grumbled as I crossed my arms. "I don't know which one is worse: the fact that I'm so hung up on him that I can't let go, or I can't let go _because_ I'm so hung up on him."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Damon asked.

I gave him a glare. "Do you really want to do this?"

"No, no, sorry," He said, putting his hands up in defense. "I just got back from the dead, I'd like to stay. But my thing is: why _can't_ you let him go?"

"I guess, in a way, I'm still in love with him," I said. "I mean, I've been in love with the guy for two years, and then we enter this great relationship that all goes to hell when _you_ die." I stopped in my tracks and turned to face Damon. "So the reason my relationship is in pieces is because of _you_." I swatted him on the arm. "You selfish jerk!"

"Ow!" Damon winced, rubbing at his arm. "Damn, did you turn into a body builder after I died?"

"I needed something to occupy my time," I shrugged. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text message from Caroline.

_We know where Enzo is. Come to Alaric's office asap._

"Well, _finally_!" I exclaimed, texting Caroline back that I'd be there as soon as I could.

"What?" Damon asked.

"I've been trying to reach Enzo for I don't even know how long and Caroline says she knows where he is," I explained.

"Wait, you and Enzo are friends now?" Damon asked, confused.

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, I didn't see it coming, either. But he was really nice to me after I found out about Stefan, and I don't know. He was just a nice shoulder to lean on."

"Oh, _please_ tell me you didn't sleep with him," Damon begged.

I gave him a look. "A) of course I haven't slept with Enzo, b) I have no idea how that's your business."

"I just don't like thinking about my girlfriend's sister hooking up with one of my more irresponsible friends," Damon offered.

I rolled my eyes. "She's your _ex_-girlfriend, which won't change unless you go look for her. So, go."

* * *

"So you've known that Enzo's been locked up this entire time?" Caroline asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Caroline, Alaric, Matt, Ivan and I were all in Alaric's office on campus, where Matt had informed us of Enzo's whereabouts.

"Honestly, I didn't think anyone was missing him," Matt said.

"Matt!" I said in a tone that meant, "Seriously?"

"I'm sorry!" Matt said. "I was confused about which vampires we like and which we _don't_."

"Okay, what about Bitchvy?" I asked. "Is she there? Caroline told me she saw Tripp put her into his van the other night."

"Tripp drove her and a few others across the border last night," Matt said.

Which meant that the magic that was keeping Ivy alive was stripped from her and she died. I couldn't say I felt _too_ bad.

"Do you know where Tripp is now?" Ivan asked as Caroline sat down next to him.

"He's running down another lead, but he didn't tell me what it was," Matt answered.

"Can you find out?" Alaric asked. "We need to know who his next target is."

"If Enzo talks, it'll be you guys," Matt said, nodding at Caroline and Alaric.

"No, it won't," I tried saying. "Enzo knows what you two mean to me, he wouldn't dare."

"Well if it came down to his own life and someone else's, I wouldn't put it past Enzo to do something like that," Ivan inputted.

"Besides, he won't get a chance to, because we're gonna bust him out," Caroline decided.

"That sounds like a great idea!" I agreed. "Then I can kick his ass for getting caught and making the rest of us stage a rescue mission. Honestly, for someone who's been locked in a cell for over fifty years you would have thought he'd ignore them like the plague."

"Do you have any idea how he could even have gotten his hands on Enzo?" Alaric asked Matt.

"He didn't," A new voice said, and in strolled Stefan. "I turned him in."

* * *

I huffed as I stomped through the forest. Matt had given us all the directions to the cabin where Enzo was being held, but Caroline _insisted_ that we split up and look for the cabin, and of course she took Ivan with her, so it was just me and Stefan.

I tried to ignore him, but that wasn't gonna fly with Stefan. "So, is this us now? We just ignore each other whenever we have to work together?"

"I don't know, Stefan," I said. "It wasn't _me_ that did this to us. It also wasn't _me_ that handed Enzo in," I added as I spun around to speak to him.

"Look, Enzo wasn't being careful, Tripp would have caught him eventually and that meant danger for all of us."

"And of course, you thought that handing Enzo in would solve all those problems," I stated. "And now here we are, going to rescue Enzo so that you and Caroline and Elena and Alaric would be safe. Kind of a step backwards, don't you think?" I turned around and began walking again.

"Well, I thought Tripp was gonna kill him, I didn't think he was gonna keep him alive for information," He argued.

"Why does that not surprise me?" I asked with a humorless laugh. "You never think, do you?"

"Why are you acting like this?" Stefan asked. "You didn't _actually_ have feelings for Enzo, did you?"

"No, I didn't," I revealed. Enzo could be a good friend at times, but that was all he'd be to me. A good friend. "But he's my friend and to me he's worth saving. Just like I thought _you_ were worth saving. Well, more like you were worth hearing out."

"That's because I _am_," Stefan said and his words surprised me so much I spun around to face him again. "Jules, I know what I did was a completely stupid thing and I'm _sorry_."

My jaw dropped. "_Now_?" I stuttered. My stomach sank. Stefan's apology was all that I wanted, but it was only coming _now_. "_Now_ you're apologizing? If you had apologized four months ago I would have been ready to accept it. Oh my God, I can't believe we're having this argument right now."

"Then when are we supposed to have it?" Stefan asked, and I had opened my mouth to retort when he suddenly vamp sped towards me. He grabbed my arm and vamp sped us behind a crate.

I peeked over the top of the crate carefully and saw some men walking out of the nearby shed. I ducked back down and leaned a little bit against Stefan. "Thanks," I whispered reluctantly.

He nodded his "you're welcome", and we waited for the two men to leave. As soon as they did, I cleared my throat slightly. "Let's go," I said as I stood up.

We got to the door, which was locked. I grabbed the lock in my hands and shut my eyes, picturing the lock opening. "_Recludam_," I breathed and the lock opened. I pulled the door open and Stefan and I walked in. Unfortunately, the room was empty.

"That's great," I huffed as I threw my hands to my sides. "Where is he?"

"You're a witch, aren't you?" Stefan said. "Do a locator spell."

"To do that I'd need something of Enzo's," I answered. I gestured around me at the empty space. "Do you see Enzo anywhere?"

* * *

Elena's tires screeched loudly as she came to a stop in front of the Mystic Falls border. Thank God for my seatbelt, otherwise I'd have flown right out through the window.

"Next time, _I'm_ driving," I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car.

We were at the border of Mystic Falls because Tripp had taken Damon hostage and was currently trying to drive him and Enzo over the Mystic Falls border, which, of course, would kill them. And we, of course, didn't want that to happen.

"Sorry, Mom," I heard Caroline say over the phone to her mother. "Elena's auditioning for 'Top Gear'. Yeah, okay, bye." She hung up and turned to report to us. "My Mom's shutting down route 13. Tripp will have to double back and there's only two ways across the border."

I nodded at the new information, but Elena seemed to be really out of it. I turned back to Caroline. "Have you heard from Ivan?"

She nodded. "He and Stefan and Ric are at the other border. Ivan said he'd text me as soon as he knew anything." Caroline looked back over at my sister. "Do you have a tire preference?" She asked, though Elena obviously wasn't paying attention. "Front? Back?"

When Elena didn't answer, Caroline slashed one of the front tires. The flat tire was our excuse to get close enough to Tripp and get our friends back. "I think that should be enough. What do you two think?"

"I think we're good," I answered, crossing my arms.

"Elena?" Caroline tried.

"I want my memories back," Elena finally spoke, and the words surprised Caroline and I.

"What?" We both said at the same time.

Elena turned around to face us. "I've made up my mind. If Damon survives this, then I want Alaric to uncompel me. I mean, I can't _imagine_ ever loving him, but I also can't ignore the parts that I don't like just to avoid the truth. I mean, how can I make any decisions if I only know half the story. Jules, wasn't this what it was like for you, when you were with Stefan?" She said, suddenly turning the conversation. "Back when you didn't have your memories, didn't you want to know everything about Stefan? How you could have loved him so much?"

I didn't have any other choice but to nod. "Yeah, Elena, I did. But I had my diaries to tell me, and I fell in love with Stefan all over again. That is-_was _the most amazing part of our love," I said, and my heart started to tighten as a lump formed in my throat. "No matter what happened, I still loved him. I could still find it in my heart to love him."

So why couldn't I do that now? I mean, in a way, I did still love Stefan, but I was letting my hurt cloud all the good moments that I had with him. I know that if Elena could, she'd switch places with me in a heartbeat, in the sense that she'd have her memories about Damon back. I had my memories, and I was _still_ holding back because of my bitterness.

What I _did_ need was to let go, but maybe I was letting go of the wrong _thing_.

My phone rang, and I looked down to check the caller ID. "It's Stefan," I told my friends as I picked up. "What's happening?" I asked him.

"Tripp's here, Ivan and Alaric have gone over to try and trick him," He reported.

"Are they okay? Does it sound or look like Tripp suspects anything?" I further inquired.

"No, it doesn't sound like it," He said. "And from what I see from the car-"

Stefan was suddenly cut off, and I could faintly hear the sound of crashing in the background. "Stefan?" I said, straining to hear. "Stefan! What's going on?"

"Alaric and Damon just crossed the border," He finally answered, and my eyes practically bugged out of my head. "I gotta go."

"Stefan, wait! Don't do anything stupid-!" I started, but he had already hung up.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked, obviously sensing the worst judging by the look on my face.

"Stefan said that Tripp's car crossed the border-with Damon and Alaric," I answered. My mind began racing as I thought of what Stefan was gonna do. "I have to get to the other side of town."

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Because I know Stefan!" I said. "He's gonna cross the border and try to save them. If he does he's just gonna die like them!"

"Jules, there's no way that you're gonna make it there in time," Caroline said gently. "Besides, I think Stefan can take care of himself."

"What if he can't?" I asked. I pointed behind me. "He could be dying right now!"

"Jules, what's gotten in to you? I thought you didn't care about Stefan," Caroline said, confused.

"I thought so too!" I said. I shook my head. "I have to get there. Now, you can either vamp speed me there or I can waste my energy."

"Jules-"

"Caroline! I'm not arguing!" I protested. She sighed, but she turned to Elena. "I'll right back," She promised her. Caroline grabbed me and vamp sped to route 9 where the crash had occurred, and I saw Stefan, Damon, Enzo, Alaric, and that doctor girl Jo who was Elena's boss. They all (sans Jo) looked pretty beat up, especially Alaric, but it seemed like they were all fine.

I sighed in relief as I broke out into a run to get to Stefan. I ran right past everyone as I leapt right into his arms, definitely surprising him. He almost toppled over, but regained his balance as he hugged me back.

"Oh God, I was so worried!" I said as I buried my face into his shoulder. "I mean, I knew what your plan was as soon as you hung up, but I was hoping that you wouldn't do it!"

I pulled away from Stefan and the look of surprise was clear on his face. I cleared my throat as I let go of his neck and took a rather large step back. "Sorry," I mumbled. I didn't know what got into me.

"Ivan!" Caroline suddenly yelled, and I snapped out of whatever was happening between Stefan and I to see Caroline running over to my brother, who was leaning against one of the cars. I took a good look at him to see his face had been hit pretty bad because there were bruises and he had scratches and he was bleeding. A lot. My eyes bugged out of my sockets as I turned back to Stefan. "What happened to Ivan?" I asked as I looked back at Caroline supporting my brother's back as she tried to coax him into drinking her blood.

"He got hit by the car," Stefan answered. "I didn't even notice until after I saved Damon and Enzo. I thought the blood was just Tripp's."

Jo and Damon were getting Alaric into his car as Caroline helped Ivan into his car to drive them to the hospital. "We have to get out of here," Stefan said.

I nodded, clearing my throat. "Right. I'm gonna go to the hospital with Ivan," I said, hopefully trying to clear the air. I pushed past him as I got into Alaric's car to go with them to the hospital.

* * *

I gripped Ivan's hand as he groaned slightly in pain. "You really didn't see the car coming?" I asked jokingly.

He sent me a glare. "Funny. I thought Alaric was handling it. Besides, I sort of flew off of the window and crashed into a large rock."

"At least the damage wasn't as bad as we thought it was," I allowed. Ivan had allowed Caroline to feed him a little bit of her blood, but he refused more. So, we had him checked into Whitmore hospital to heal what vampire blood didn't. He had some stitches above his right eyebrow and his arm was in a cast, but he would be okay. We were so lucky that there was no internal bleeding.

"How's Alaric?" Ivan asked.

"Human," I answered. I found it hard to believe, but Damon explained to me that Jo saved Alaric right before he died as he did when he was turned into a vampire, and now there were no traces of magic in his body. Ergo, no more Alaric the Vampire. "He's pretty injured, but Jo thinks that he'll make a good recovery."

Ivan nodded, then furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait. You said that Alaric was human, right?"

I gave him a look. "Should I ask Jo to take a look at your hearing?"

Ivan matched the look he gave me as he said, "That means that he no longer has the power of compulsion."

I shrugged a little. "Yeah, I guess. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"How is Elena gonna get her memories of Damon back if Alaric can't compel them back to her?" He asked.

My stomach sank as I thought of our adoptive sister. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought of it. "Oh my God. I didn't even think of that. What are we gonna do?"

Ivan shrugged as best as he could with his arm in a sling. "Maybe we can find a spell in our family Traveler book? We could try and track down other Traveler spell books. Maybe they'd have something."

I nodded. "That's a good idea. Man, I just feel so bad. She was just telling me that she wanted her memories back. She must be so crushed." I yawned, trying my best to try and stiffle it. The day's events had drained me.

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep?" Ivan suggested as he dropped my hand.

"I don't want to leave you alone," I told him.

He shook his head. "I won't be alone, I have Caroline."

My eyebrows rised suggestively. "_Caroline_? When did you two become best friends?"

Ivan gave me an annoyed look only a brother could give. "We're just friends."

My eyes landed on his cast, and I gasped when I saw it. I grabbed it, causing Ivan to hiss in pain. "Sorry," I mumbled, but I carefully inspected what was written on it. "_Caroline_ was the first person to sign your cast?"

Ivan slightly blushed. "She insisted."

"Ha!" I said, pointing at him as I let go of the cast. "There _is_ something going on!"

Ivan huffed. "Look, maybe there is and maybe there isn't, but I won't know unless you go and leave the two of us alone."

"Right! Right," I said as I grabbed my jacket off of the guest chair.

Caroline chose this moment to walk into the room with two coffees in her hand. She scrunched her eyebrows as she watched me pull on my jacket. "You're not staying?" She asked.

I shook my head as I looked between my best friend and my brother. Oh yeah, I would totally ship it. My Klaroline heart had given up and was making room for...Carivan? Ivoline? Maybe their last names. Forstos? Chrorbes? That was weird. "Oh, no. I'm tired, I think I'm just gonna go get some sleep."

And with that, I scurried out of the room.

* * *

"I was this close," Damon said as he made the "a little" sign with his fingers. "This. Close."

He and Stefan were at the bar on Whitmore campus, catching up. They had missed their chance earlier, and now a lot more had gone down.

"I know," Stefan said as he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, I got it," Damon said sarcastically. "_Everybody's_ sorry. _You're_ sorry you gave up on me, sorry you turned Enzo into that hunter guy. _Ric's _sorry for the complusion and I'm sure if Elena could remember anything, she'd be sorry too," He said, lifting his glass of bourbon to his lips.

"You've gotta understand how hard it was for her," Stefan tried reasoning.

"I am so tired of hearing about how hard it was for her," Damon grumbled. "It was hard for me as well."

"At least you knew you had a home to come back to," Stefan argued. "She didn't have _anything_. To her, you were just gone."

"Guess I still am," Damon mused. "Ric said she's happy without me since she erased me. You know what? I don't want her to be happy. I want her to be miserable, just like I am."

Stefan nodded as he sipped from his own drink. He lowered the glass down on to the table as he looked at his brother. "You done?"

"Yeah, I'm done," Damon agreed.

"Now, quit stalling. There's a girl you need to go see," Stefan said.

"What if it doesn't work?" Damon asked, as always, doubtful of himself. "What if what we had isn't strong enough to break the compulsion?"

"You're not gonna find out just sitting there, are you?" Stefan pointed out.

"You're right, I won't," Damon agreed as he downed the rest of his alcohol. "But you won't, either."

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Damon gave him a look as he smacked his brother at the side of his head. Stefan groaned in pain as Damon said, "Juliet, you idiot. Caroline and Jules told me everything."

"Right, that," Stefan said as he grimaced.

"Why the hell would you do that to her?" Damon asked. "You knew how much you meant to her, and she knew how much she meant to you. Why go and screw that up?"

Stefan sighed as he buried his face in his hand. "I don't know, okay? I was stupid. I was so stupid. I thought that you were dead, and I needed a fresh start."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Damon retorted. "That girl was the best thing that could have happened to you. And she still _can_ be."

"Are you kidding?" Stefan asked. "She _hates_ me. She's told me enough times."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Did you see her tonight? She ran right passed Enzo-the person she was trying to save all along-to run into your arms because she was so worried that you'd done something stupid to get yourself killed and that she'd never see you again. Besides, we both know Jules, Stefan. She can say that she hates you as much as she wants, but she's been in love with you forever. Everyone could see it but _you_. Those kind of feelings don't just disappear overnight."

"What do you suppose I do, Damon?" Stefan asked. "I told her I was sorry."

"You don't _tell her_, you dumbass," Damon said. "Words don't mean squat to Juliet if the situation is bad enough, and I think it is, don't you?"

"Then what do I do?" Stefan asked again.

"You just _show her_ the best way that you can that you still love her," Damon said. "You _do _still love her, don't you?"

Stefan looked up from his glass and right into Damon's eyes. "Of course I do. With all of my heart."

"Great!" Damon said enthusiastically as he stood up. "Now, I'm gonna go see my true love, you go and fix things up with _yours_."

Damon left without another word, leaving Stefan to mull over his words. Damon was right. Juliet wasn't going to believe Stefan still loved her unless he showed her in a meaningful-to-Juliet way.

Stefan looked back up from his glass and looked out the window. His stomach dropped as he saw the familiar, chocolate brown locks of his ex-girlfriend. It was no mistaking it. The way she dressed, the way she walked, the way she carried herself...it was Juliet.

Stefan dropped his glass on the table and ran for the door.

* * *

There was a chill in the air as I made my way back to my dorm. I planned on picking something up for dinner first and after placing a phone call to Elena, I was on my way to the Chinese place. Elena insisted on the good one, which was farther than the Bad-One-But-It's-The-Closest place, and I went along with it, no arguments. I couldn't argue with her, because, well, there was no way for her to get her memories of the guy she loved back.

_Don't think like that, Jules_, I said to myself. _Ivan said that the two of you would figure out a way to get them back_.

"Hey!" A voice called out, stopping me.

I turned around to see Stefan standing behind me. I could feel tension growing in the pit of my stomach but tried not to let it show. "Hi," I practically squeaked, and I was beating myself about it as I walked closer to him.

"I need to talk to you," He said, and I knew it was about us.

I looked around me at the crowd of people and lack of privacy. "Do you really think this is the best place to do it?"

"Yes, I do, because if we don't talk now, then we won't talk at all and that's not what I want," He said.

My breath hitched slightly. "What _do_ you want?"

Stefan sighed. "I just want us to move past this."

I scoffed a little in disbelief. "You don't think I'm trying to? You're the one who hurt _me_ Stefan. No matter how much we try to, we can't just ignore the fact that you ignored me for four months and got together with another girl. And even though the stuff you've done to me is so horrible, you _still _matter so much to me, Stefan, no matter how much I want to deny it. And yeah, I know I'm acting more confusing than a Taylor Swift song but I can't help it. That's just what you've done to us."

Stefan's eyebrows raised slightly. "Is there still the chance of there being an...us?"

I sucked in a deep breath. This was make it or break it. This was the defining moment. "I _want_ there to...be," I said weakly, and Stefan's mood instantly perked up. "I don't know if we'll ever be the 'us' that we were before, because I'll never trust you the way that I used to."

"So, you just need to trust me again?" Stefan asked to clarify. I knew he was trying his best to make things right with us, but I was going to make him work for it. I owed that to myself.

"I don't need to just _trust_ you again, Stefan," I told him. "I need to fall in love with you all over again. We are two totally different people thna when we first started dating. That Stefan and Juliet were perfect. Whatever this new one will be...they'll be messy. But they're worth fighting for, aren't they?"

Stefan choked up slightly, but he said, "Yes. Yes, of _course_ they are."

I smiled slightly, though it broke my heart a little. "We need to start all over. Before the love, before the best friends, before the _regular_ friends, we were strangers. That's where we have to start from. So." I took a deep breath as I extended my hand to Stefan, showing him that I was ready and willing to take this risk if he was. "Hi. I'm Juliet Gilbert."

Stefan looked from my hand to my hopeful face, back down to my hand. He raised his own and set it gently into mine. We shook as he squeezed my hand slightly.

"Hi. I'm Stefan Salvatore."

...And that was how our new love story began.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I know it's cheesy, but I think this is a good direction to go into. I'm trying to change the Steroline storyline because this ISN'T Steroline's story, it's Jefan's. And at the point that Stefan and Juliet are at, it makes a lot of sense for the two of them to start over in a fresh, new friendship that could possibly turn into something more, especially since as mentioned before, they're both different people and their relationship needs to adjust to that.**

**Plus, what do you guys think of Ivan and Caroline? Do they sound like they'll make a good couple?**

**I apologize for the late update, February was just so hectic! It took me a while to get into the new groove of my new semester as it is a difficult one. I'll **_**try**_** for the next one to be sooner!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	29. Do You Remember the First Time?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Here's the next update! It's not much and isn't that good, but I still hope you like it!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ooh, ouch," I winced as I listened to what Elena told me. Apparently, Damon had gone to see her last night after I was at the hospital with Ivan, and he tried to jump start her memories with his love. However, it didn't work. "You couldn't have been gentler?" I asked.

"Well, the only thoughts that were running through my mind were a) he's killed my brother, b) he's done so many more terrible things, and c) his eyes were really, really, blue and pretty."

"Look, maybe not remembering him is a good thing," Caroline suggested. "You're doing well in school, you're following your dreams, you met Liam, who also has very pretty eyes."

"True," Elena allowed as she sipped from her coffee.

"On the other hand," I started. "Maybe he's worth hearing out. I mean, you saw how much being angry with Stefan was hurting me. I mean, he _did_ hurt me, but I'm starting to move past it."

"Wait, you two are back together?" Elena asked excitedly.

I shook my head. "No. Well, at least not yet. We just left enemy territory. We're friends right now."

"Yeah, let's see how long that's gonna last," Caroline commented.

I raised my eyebrow at her. "What about you?"

"What about me?" She asked somewhat innocently.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Don't think I don't notice you crushing on my brother."

"You're crushing on Ivan?" Elena asked, her eyes almost bugging out of her head.

"No!" Caroline protested, but words began to fail her as she tried to offer a pathetic excuse for an explanation. Her face turned red as she grabbed her bag. "You know what? I'm gonna be late."

"To what? A study date with Ivan?" I called after her as she got up and sped away.

Elena smacked me on the arm, but she was laughing too. "You scared her away."

"Yeah, I know," I said. "But in all honesty, I think her and Ivan would be pretty cute. Caroline hasn't been with anyone since Tyler, and let's be real: Tyler isn't the nicest person sometimes. Someone like Ivan would be good for her."

Elena nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I think they'd be super sweet."

I heard footsteps and looked behind Elena to see that Liam guy approaching. I gave Elena a look as I said, "That's my cue to leave." I slung my bag over my shoulder and stood up.

"What do you mean?" She asked as I walked away, shaking my head as I finished off my coffee.

Love was in the air.

* * *

Caroline told me that she was going to study at Ivan's dorm (yeah, right, _study_) and Elena had a shift at the hospital, so I had the dorm to myself. In all honesty, I would have rathered Bonnie be here so that we could do something together (as when we had this dorm last year Bonnie and I were always the ones left with nothing to do) but I decided I'd make the best of it.

I finished up all my homework (I was determined to power through my classes and was actually doing a lot better in all my classes) and plugged my phone into my stereo so that I could play my music as I cleaned our dorm.

It hadn't seen a nice cleaning since Caroline had stress cleaned, and it was Saturday early afternoon, so why not?

I sang my heart out and jumped up and down to Selena as I scrubbed at the floors and windows and dusted. Halfway through the "Disco Medley", there was a knock at my door. I rolled my eyes but muted my music as I went over to answer the door. It was kind of hard in rubber gloves, but I managed it. When I flung it open, I was surprised to see Stefan on the other side.

"Stefan!" I exclaimed. I awkwardly cleared my throat as I opened the door. "Come in."

The air was a little awkward (but a lot less tense than it was before) as he walked in. "Spring cleaning?"

"It's not spring yet," I reminded him. "More like boredom cleaning."

"Sounds fun," He commented as he turned around to face me. "Listen, have you seen Caroline? She hasn't been answering her phone."

"Yeah, she's with _Ivan_," I said with childish emphasis on his name. "She probably turned her phone off. Why?"

"Because Tripp's men still have her name on their list," Stefan said.

"What?" I asked. "How? Why?"

"I have no idea," Stefan answered. "Tripp told us when we were trying to get information out of him."

"Well, let me text Ivan to tell him to keep Caroline safe," I said as I ran over to my desk to grab my phone. Just as I did, it rang, and Caroline was on the other end. "Hello?" I said.

"Jules!" Caroline sobbed. "Tripp's men have my mom!"

"What?" I blurted. "How? What happened?"

"I don't know," She said. "But Ivan and I are on our way back to the dorm to pick you up. You have to help us get her back."

"I will, don't worry," I immediately told her. We both hung up, and I turned back to Stefan. "Tripp's men have Caroline's mom."

"What?" Stefan said in the same tone as me.

"Yeah. Caroline's on her way over and we're going to rescue Liz," I decided as I grabbed my coat from my closet. "Are you coming?" I asked.

"What?" Stefan asked.

I gave him a funny look. "Are you coming?" I repeated.

"You want me to come with you?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, I guess," I said, a little awkwardly. I was feeling like I did back when I first started feeling for Stefan after my accident. The feeling was foreign. "I mean, Caroline's your friend, too. Don't you want to help her?"

"Of course I do!" Stefan said. "I mean, only if it's okay with you."

I rolled my eyes at him as I smacked him on the chest on my way out the door. "I wouldn't have invited you otherwise. Now let's go!"

* * *

"Answer your damn phone, Enzo!" I growled as my message went straight to voicemail again. "Why the hell would you even have a phone if you weren't going to answer it?!"

Stefan was driving to the cabin where Enzo was being held and where they were currently holding Tripp. I was in the front seat, and Ivan and Caroline were in the back seat of Stefan's car as we raced against the clock to save Liz.

"I just, I didn't call her today," Caroline said guiltily, burying her face in her hands. "I always call my mom, every Saturday morning, but no. Today, I said, 'Screw it. I wanna sleep in, I'll do it tomorrow'."

"You can't blame yourself," Ivan said to Caroline as he put his hand on her knee.

"Besides, we're almost there," Stefan assured her.

"'We're almost there'?" Caroline repeated. "You said two hours and then kill him. Do you even remember how long ago you said that? I mean, what kind of person would set off a ticking bomb without setting his watch?"

My phone rang, and I answered it without even bothering to look at the caller ID because I knew who it was. "Tell me that you didn't kill Tripp yet," I begged Enzo.

"I haven't killed Tripp yet," Enzo confirmed, and I sighed in relief as I sagged back against the seat. "Surprisingly torture resistant, but still alive."

"Good," I said. "Keep him alive. His men have Caroline's mom and won't give her back unless we give them back Tripp. Which I could have told you if you had answered your bloody phone ten minutes ago! What the hell took you so long anyways?"

"My fingers were covered in blood and the touch screen wouldn't work," Enzo explained.

I rolled my eyes. "That is no excuse, Enzo. At least not a _real_ one. Whenever I call, answer the phone, understood?"

"Understood, Tinkerbell. Jeez, you're one feisty fairy," He said, and I rolled my eyes at his rude compliment.

"Whatever," I brushed off. "Just keep the guy alive, will you? Please?"

He groaned but complied. "Fine, fine. When did I turn into your personal servant?"

"That's just how our relationship works," I answered as I hung up. I was about to put my phone away when I got a text from Damon.

_Wanna be my date for a hospital fundraiser? :)_

"Really?" I asked when he answered his phone. "A _smiley face_?"

"I had to reel you in somehow," He responded. "You didn't answer the question, by the way. Wanna be my date?"

Stefan furrowed his eyebrows as he heard his brother ask me out. "Why the hell do _you_ need to go to a hospital fundraiser?" An idea clicked in my mind. "Are you going to bother Elena?"

"No," Damon scoffed unconvincingly. "What gave you that idea?"

"Damon, what are you up to?" I asked him.

"I'll tell you that when you agree to be my date," He said.

"Well, you're out of luck," I answered. "I'm on a rescue mission. Won't be done till much later."

"Damn it," Damon groaned. "Why the hell are you busy?"

"Because I have a life?" I said, like a question. "The world doesn't revolve around you."

"Since when?"

"Bye, Damon," I said in a sing song voice as I hung up. I turned to the other members of the car and addressed their confused looks. "Don't even ask me because I have no idea what's going on."

* * *

We finally got to the cabin thing by the time it got dark. Enzo opened the door for us as he said, "Hello, Tinkerbell," to me.

"What's up, Peter Pan?" I breezily asked as I walked past him and inside, Stefan, Ivan, and Caroline on my heels. My jaw dropped as I caught sight of Tripp beated and battered, hunched over in the chair he was tied to. "What the hell, Enzo?" I thundered. "I thought you said you didn't kill him!"

"Oh, relax, he's still alive," Enzo assured me as he walked over to him. "Just a little blood loss. May have an iron deficiency problem." He raised his hand and smacked Tripp across the face.

"Enzo!" I scolded.

"Trust me, he's had worse than a slap today," Enzo said as Tripp began coming to.

"Can you not?" Caroline said to him as she went over to undo Tripp's chains. "My mother's life is hanging in the balance."

Stefan, Ivan, and I went over to help her. She growled in frustration as she tugged at the chains. "Why the hell did you tie him in three chains? He's only a human, he can't be that strong."

"I'm not the one who put him in chains," Stefan said.

"No, but you let Enzo, your sworn enemy, do it," Caroline snapped.

"Caroline!" I said. "Stefan couldn't have known that Tripp had a back up plan for something like this."

"Hold up," Enzo said as he literally put a hand up. "First, Tinkerbell runs into your arms last night, and now, she's defending you? Something isn't right here."

"Shut up, Enzo!" Stefan and I said at the same time. Our situation was delicate enough.

"You two are back together, aren't you?" Enzo said as he gestured between the two of us.

"No, we aren't," Stefan said in a tone that should have ended the conversation.

"It's your loss, mate," Enzo said as turned around to leave. He pointed at Caroline as he walked out the door, saying, "Tell your mom I send my best," and he was gone.

I huffed out a sigh. That was awkward.

"Let's just get my mom back," Caroline said as she grabbed one of Tripp's arms.

* * *

We drove over to the Mystic Falls border where Tripp's men were going to meet us to do the trade off. Stefan and I stood awkwardly next to each other as Ivan and Caroline stood off to the side, talking quietly with each other.

I cleared my throat as I rubbed my arms with my hands. I was going to say something, but the chill that had overwhelmed me stopped me from speaking.

"Are you cold?" Stefan asked. He immediately started peeling off his jacket. He draped it on my back, despite my protests.

"You really don't have to," I said to him as I slipped my arms through the sleeves.

"Nah. What are friends for?" He asked, his voice choking up on the word "friends".

"Right," I said, putting my hands in the pockets.

Silence. Welcome back, old friend.

Thankfully, the car with Tripp's men rolled up, and I nearly cried in relief. Stefan went and got Tripp out of the back of his car while Tripp's guys got out of their car.

"_Juliet_?" A shockingly familiar voice said.

I turned around and my heart stopped when I saw Adam. "Adam?" I breathed. Whoa. I did _not_ see this coming.

He had a gun trained on Liz as she got out of the car. There wasn't really any time to talk, but I was _definitely_ going to talk to him later. He knew about vampires? He worked for Tripp?

"Mom!" Caroline said worriedly as she began to make her way over to the border.

Ivan had to grab her arm and hold her back. "Caroline, don't. The border."

Liz had a cut on her head, which didn't go unnoticed by Caroline. "You're bleeding? What happened?"

"I'm fine," Liz assured her.

"Okay, let's do this," Matt said. "Let her go, and you can have him," He finished, gesturing at Tripp.

"Tripp first," Adam said, moving the gun closer to Liz's head.

"Adam, don't," I tried pleading.

"Jules, it's okay," Liz said. "Stefan, let Tripp go."

Stefan pushed Tripp over the border, and Matt caught him before he fell.

"He crossed. Now, let her go," Caroline demanded.

Adam let go of Liz's arm, and she immediately ran right over into her daughter's arms.

I could only stare at him in confusion and disappointment. I couldn't _believe_ this. I would have never seen this coming.

Tripp suddenly stopped in his steps, which prompted Matt to ask, "Are you okay?"

"What's happening to me?" Was the last thing Tripp managed to get out when his throat suddenly cut open.

"Oh my God!" I breathed as Matt grabbed Tripp before he could hit the ground. Matt lowered him on to the ground as he began choking and bleeding out.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Matt asked Stefan angrily.

"It wasn't me," Stefan answered.

I groaned as I buried my face in my hand when I figured it out. "Enzo must have turned him before we got there. That son of a bitch!"

I gave Adam a look that told him that I wasn't ready to drop this revelation, and he ran back to his car. Why the hell could I never attract _normal_ guys? I mean, two vampires, a vampire _hunter_ and a vampire-werewolf hybrid.

If any teenage girl out there was _dreaming_ about a vampire I would gladly switch lives.

* * *

"This is _totally_ unnecessary," Liz complained.

"You _hit_ your _head_," Caroline said pointedly. "You could have a concussion. And I know better than to think that you're going to take yourself for a check up back home."

After the showdown, Caroline insisted that she took Liz to a hospital, ergo, Stefan, Ivan, Caroline and I were in the hospital with her, waiting for her check up. Ivan had gone to get us all something to drink, so that left Stefan, Caroline, and I.

"Can you at least go and see how long the wait is gonna be?" Liz asked.

She nodded. "That I can do. Jules, come with me."

Before I knew what was going on, she grabbed my arm and was pulling me out the door. I went in one direction, and Caroline went in the other. I didn't have any luck on my end, so I went back to the room where Liz was waiting. I was about to go in when I heard Liz and Stefan talking.

"She isn't icing you out anymore?" Liz asked him.

"No, thank God," Stefan said, and I could almost hear the smile of relief on his face.

"So does that mean you two are back together?" Liz asked.

"No," He said again. "Can you give me any advice? You've known Jules her whole life."

Liz sighed. "I don't know, Stefan. I'm not her mother, but Jules is very important to me. If anything, I'm an honourary mother. So, I guess I'm not really _allowed_ to say anything."

"Right," He said, a bit sadly.

I decided to interrupt it where it was. I cleared my throat as I walked in, shoving my hands in my pockets. "I didn't have any luck finding anyone. Maybe Caroline did."

Just as I said my best friend's name, she walked in with a nurse. "We'll just be right outside," She said to Liz as Stefan and I began making our way out the door.

Caroline shut the door and turned to us. "I'm going to go see what's taking Ivan so long."

"He's probably just trying to balance all those coffee cups on his arms to impress you," I joked, which earned me a smack on the arm from Caroline as she left.

Stefan and I turned to face the window that was in Liz's examination room. "Did you really have to resort to asking Liz for advice?" I asked him.

He paused. "You heard that?"

I rolled my eyes. "The door was open and I have ears. Plus, you weren't really making the effort to be quiet."

"Yes, I had to resort to asking Liz for advice because to everyone else, I'm the bad guy in this situation," Stefan said. "Caroline, Ivan, Elena, hell, even my own brother thinks I was a dumbass."

"Because you _were_," I said. "The thing you did was horrible."

"I know it was," He said quickly. "And I've been trying to make it up to you in every way I know how. Just please, tell me what to do to make it up to you."

"I shouldn't _have_ to tell you," I suddenly snapped. "You should know. Besides, I thought we were starting over? As _friends_?"

"Yeah, I know, but you know what? I can't do that," He said. "I can't be your friend when I'm in love with you."

My heart suddenly hitched. I'd only ever heard Stefan say he loved me once, and that was nearly six months ago, right before he died. I slowly looked over at him, a huge bulge building up in my throat. "You still love me?" I asked in a quiet voice.

He sighed in frustration. "Of _course_ I'm still in love with you."

"Then why did you leave me?" I asked abruptly, turning around to face him fully. There were tears building up in my eyes as I said, "If you loved me so damn much, why did you leave me?"

"I don't know," He whispered as he cupped my face. I put my hands on top of his as he continued talking. "I'm the biggest idiot in the world because I let you go. I love you."

Tears slipped down my face. I didn't need this. I was perfectly happy with the friends position we were at, knowing that eventually, it would lead to more. _Eventually_. Eventually was the keyword here, it was the thing I needed. I'd made my decision, then.

"I love you too, Stefan," I said and, though it broke my heart to do, I put my hands on top of his and lowered them. "But I can't be with you yet."

"What? What do you mean? Why not?" He asked altogether.

"Where you are, I'm not there yet," I told him. "I know you want to be with me, and I want to be with you. But my heart can only take so much, Stefan. Its defense mechanism is to shut out everything that could hurt and then slowly let them in." I reached over and took one of his hands, giving it a squeeze. "If you want to be with me, Stefan Salvatore, then you need to wait. I _want_ to say that I can't ask you to wait for me, but, hell, yes I can. Because you love me and you _owe_ me that. Can you do that?"

Tears were forming in his eyes, but he nodded. I gave him a watery smile as I stood on my tip toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. He brought me all the way into the hug, wrapping me around himself as much as possible.

"We'll be together again, Stefan," I assured him. "Just, not yet."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Getting caught up! Slowly, but getting there!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	30. Fade Into You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I just wanted to start off by saying THANK YOU GUYS A MILLION FOR GETTING THIS STORY TO OVER 300 REVIEWS! This is the first of my stories to do so, and I'm just so thankful to all of you who take the time to leave me reviews and tell me what you think of the story so I could either a) improve it or b) make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and want to cry.

Also**, **can you guys BELIEVE the shit that Julie Plec's trying to feed us?

Like hello, you are making MY job harder.

Don't worry, I'm already cooking up a plan to work around it that I think you guys will like!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"So, you know about vampires, huh?" I asked Adam awkwardly.

"Yup," He said, looking more at his coffee cup than me.

I had received a call from Adam that morning, who said that he wanted to discuss our recent developments. Meaning, how the hell he knew about vampires and why he was helping Tripp Cooke.

"How do you know about vampires?" Adam asked, whispering the word "vampires."

I rolled my eyes slightly. "Oh man, that is a _very_ long story, that would probably need at least three seasons of a TV show to tell it properly. Not more than three, though." I took a sip of my own coffee. "And you? How do you know about them?"

"Do you remember my brother Colin?" He asked. "I mentioned him on our first date?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Adam sighed. "Colin didn't die from a car crash. He was killed by a vampire."

My stomach sank. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry. But, how do you know it was a vampire?"

"Tripp Cooke's the one who told me," Adam said.

"_Tripp_ told you?" I asked in disbelief. "How did he know?"

"When he did digging on his wife, he found the pictures of Colin's death scene," He said. "There were bite marks on his neck. The police told us it was an animal attack." Adam scoffed in disbelief. "I mean, I always knew there was something fishy about Colin's death, but my parents told me not to worry about it. To just remember Colin as he was. Tripp waited until I was a little older to tell me, and I agreed to help him hunt down vampires, hoping it'd lead me to Colin's killer."

"Adam, you do realize that just because one vampire killed your brother doesn't mean that they're all evil, don't you?" I asked.

"Jules, they _kill_ people," Adam said. "That's not evil to you?"

"Not all of them kill people," I argued. "There are some who don't kill humans, some who drink blood bags, and some who drink animal blood. Despite what Tripp's poisoned you with, not all vampires are bad. Like Caroline! Do you honestly believe that Caroline's evil?"

He opened his mouth to retort, but nothing came out. "You're right. I can't honestly say that Caroline is evil," He said, which made the both of us laugh.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, so I fished it out to see who was texting me.

_Carebear: Where are you? You're supposed to be helping me cook Friendsgiving dinner!_

Which was exactly why I opted to have coffee with Adam instead.

No, I take that back. Caroline _was_ evil.

I winced as I texted her back, _Having coffee with Adam and talking about what happened._

_ Carebear: Well, come home. Right now._

I rolled my eyes as I shoved my phone back into my pocket. "That's Monsterline. She hasn't had a thing to organize in forever and now that it's Thanksgiving, she's going crazy. She wants me to go home and help her."

"Oh yeah, Thanksgiving is this weekend, isn't it?" Adam asked. "I totally forgot."

"What do you mean, you forgot?" I asked. "Aren't you going home for Thanksgiving?"

"No, actually," He said. "My mom couldn't get a ticket in time for me to go stay with her and my stepdad in Honolulu. I gotta say though, I wasn't looking forward to Hawaii anyway. My younger stepbrother is _weird_. Anyway, I was _supposed _to spend it with my Dad, but he's on a business trip in England and missed his flight, and there aren't any flights for him to take so he'll make it in time. It looks like it's gonna be just me and my roommate, Alex this year. I'm kind of disappointed, because Alex is a crappy cook."

I felt really bad for Adam. Thanksgiving by yourself? His roommate being a bad cook? The words spilled out before I could stop them, "Come and spend Thanksgiving with us."

"What?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Bring Alex, too. I mean it. Caroline makes enough food to feed an army, so there'll be plenty to go around. Promise you'll think about it?"

My phone rang this time, alerting me to Caroline calling. I rolled my eyes and pulled out my phone as Adam nodded, telling me that he'd think about joining us.

"All right, you bloody blonde tyrant, I'm _coming_!"

* * *

"I'm a vampire," Elena tried out.

Caroline made a face. "I don't know. Maybe a little less emphasis on vampire?"

"_I'm... _a vampire," She tried again, but it still sounded weird. "I mean, there's only so many ways you can say it."

We were in our dorm room, preparing the table for Thanksgiving dinner. Caroline was placing little name tags on plates while I set forks and knives and spoons up. The topic of today's discussion was that Elena was planning on telling her new beau Liam about vampires, and that she was one.

Which was, of course, a bad idea.

"Well, maybe Liam will stop digging into Lady Whitmore's miraculous recovery, and you won't have to come clean," Caroline suggested.

Elena sighed in frustration. "Or he'll keep digging, realize that I force-fed her my vampire blood, and then just bail."

"You know, this can all go away with one fell swoop," I told her. "I mean, what good is compulsion for if you can't even use it for stuff like this?"

"So lie, and lie – again, and again, and again," Elena said.

I gave her a look as I put a flower vase on the table. "Okay, it only _sounds_ bad because of the tone of voice you're using. If you use it in a more upbeat tone, then it sounds like a brilliant idea. You can thank me later."

Caroline hit my arm and gave me a look that told me I wasn't helping. "If you want to tell him the truth, I-_we_," She corrected herself as she bumped my hip. "-support you 100%, but if you're rushing into this to escape some conflicted feelings over a certain ex who just came back into your life, then I suggest you keep your fangs to yourself."

I looked over at the name tags and noticed a name missing. "Where's Stefan's card?" I asked.

Caroline slightly winced. "Well, I figured since Adam was going to be here, you wouldn't want Stefan here. That could turn ugly very fast."

I hadn't even _thought_ of that. I still felt a little bad that that was the reason that Stefan wasn't invited to Friendsgiving, though.

"Stefan's still a friend, though," I argued. "He should have been invited."

"Technically, you can't be friends if you're in love with each other," Elena pointed out.

Yeah, I had told the girls about mine and Stefan's discussion at the hospital, hoping they'd give me some words of encouragement. Instead, all I got was a tub of ice cream and romantic movies. Times like this I missed Bonnie, because she was the only one who was good at comfort.

"I don't get it," Caroline said as she began folding napkins on the table. "If you two still love each other, why aren't you together?"

"Trust," I said as I pointed a napkin in Caroline's direction and began folding it. "Is the foundation of any good relationship. My heart is used to Stefan hurting me, and it just needs to get used to the fact that he doesn't want to hurt it anymore."

Caroline gave me a look. "Just do us all a favour and jump his bones already. Seeing the two of you miserable is the worst."

I looked at her in disbelief. I opened my mouth to argue when I heard Elena say, "Jo."

I turned around to see Alaric's girlfriend walking over, holding a turkey wrapped in foil. "Hey," She said as she walked in.

"Where's Alaric?" Elena asked.

"Don't kill the messenger," She said. "Something about an impromptu guys' weekend."

Elena picked up her phone to call Alaric, and I picked up my own to call my brother. "Where are you?" I asked when he picked up.

"Picking up string beans," Ivan answered. "Since Damon decided not to come to Friendsgiving, Caroline gave me the job."

"You do realize if it's store-bought, she'll kill you, right?" I asked. Caroline took cooking _very_ seriously.

"I doubt she'd kill _me_," He said.

I smiled, thinking of the two of them as a couple. "You know, Christmas is coming up. I could get some mistletoe, help the two of you out..."

"Grow up, Jules."

"Never," I sang. "Anyways, hurry up. Turkey is here and Caroline will freak if you're late."

I hung up as I turned to the end of Elena's conversation. "Bonnie's still alive? Oh, my God!"

"Bonnie's _what_?" I exclaimed.

Alaric must have hung up on Elena, because she turned around. There was a huge smile on her face, as well as amazement in her eyes.

Caroline walked over, having heard what happened through vampire hearing. "Bonnie's still alive?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah," Elena breathed, and the three of us were moved to tears. We immediately gravitated to a group hug and stood there in our joy, holding each other.

Friendsgiving was off to a great start.

* * *

"Is that the reason Caroline assigned me the turkey _and _the cranberries?" Alaric asked as the three of them began walking towards the Gemini lead. "Stefan wasn't invited?"

"See what you did?" Damon said to his brother. "No we're pulling your weight. I really hope you figure this out before Christmas."

"Yeah. Well, I'm glad you're both finding amusement in this," Stefan said. "Look, Caroline told me that I wasn't invited because Juliet chose to invite this guy Adam instead."

"Ooh," Damon winced, making the "tssh" sound, as if Stefan was just burned. "She's picked a new guy. She's moving on, Stefan. Put us all out of our misery and reel her back in, why don't you?"

"I'm trying!" Stefan argued. He couldn't believe Damon's tone. It wasn't like he wasn't _trying_. "She said she still loves me. She just needs to be able to trust me again."

"Then do things to make her trust you!" Damon said. "Stand outside her window with a boombox, drive away with her on the back of your lawnmower, do something, brother! You're really losing your touch with women."

Stefan rolled his eyes at Damon but came to a sudden stop in the middle of an empty field that he'd checked out himself when Damon was still dead. "Oh! Look. We're here. Behold the Gemini Coven exactly how it looked four months ago."

Damon and Alaric could only stare at the field in confusion, but Stefan knew what had been there and wasn't the least bit surprised. "Like I said, uh, three thousand miles ago, it's not here. Can we, uh, go home now, please?"

"You know what? Check the GPS again," Alaric suggested. "Just because we don't see anything, doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Damon saw the chance and took it. "Like Juliet's feelings for her guy, Adam."

Stefan gave his brother a half glare, half fake smile. "Hilarious. Keep them coming."

Damon took his backpack off and swung it around so that it was in front of him. He reached inside and pulled out Ms. Cuddles, Bonnie's teddy bear from the 1994 prison world that she had sent over to their world.

"Oh, no," Damon mimicked the tone of the teddy bear, a high, childlike voice. "Is Stefan feeling sensitive about ruining his relationship with Juliet? She really loved him, and he broke her heart."

"See, Stefan?" Alaric went along with Damon's joke, gesturing to Ms. Cuddles. "Even the _bear_ knew."

"I saw that from a mile away, and my brain's made of _cotton_," Damon continued the Ms. Cuddles charade.

Stefan, fed up with the both of them making fun of his decreasing relationship that he was trying to figure out how to fix by the minute, wrangled the bear out of his brother's hands. "Give me this!"

He tossed it right into the field. Instead of hitting the ground in the far off field due to Stefan's super strength, it hit some kind of inivisible barrier, and suddenly a large house appeared in front of them.

Damon strolled over to the front porch where the bear was laying and picked her up. "Ms. Cuddles, one-invisible creepy mansion, zero."

* * *

Tyler, Liv, Liam, and Ivan had arrived, leaving just Adam and his roommate Alex to come. I'd admit, I was a little worried that Adam wouldn't show up, but a knock at the door confirmed his arrival.

I opened the front door and on the other side was Adam, holding a pie, and a short Asian guy-who must've been Alex-standing beside him, who was holding a bottle of wine.

"Hi!" I said with a smile on my face as I opened the door for them to come in. "Come in, we got _lots _of food."

"It smells great," Alex said as he walked in. He turned around and held out the bottle of wine to me. "That's for you. My parents sent it up for Thanksgiving whenever they're not able to make it. Which is usually always."

I took the bottle in my hand as I gestured to where the table was. "Well, go take a seat. My friend Caroline-she's the blonde one-has set up name cards and assigned seats."

Alex had a little look of bewilderment on his face but nonetheless turned around and began walking over to the table. I guess the prospect of food was better than Caroline's control freakiness.

"Hey, thanks for inviting us," Adam said as he walked over to where our kitchen-y set up area was. "If you hadn't, we'd just be sitting in our dorm watching a horror movie and eating take out."

I smiled at him as I put the wine down. "It's not a problem, really." Maybe I had made the right choice in inviting Adam instead of Stefan. Stefan was busy with helping Alaric and Damon today, anyway. Adam would've been alone.

And that wasn't in the spirit of Friendsgiving.

Um, maybe I was spending too much time with Caroline.

Speaking of Caroline, the blonde loudly clapped her hands together, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "All right! If everyone could gather around the table at their assigned seat, then, um..."

The door suddenly opened, and Luke walked in. "Oh. Sorry I'm late."

Caroline ignored the interruption as she continued. "We will each share something that we are thankful for in one hundred words or less...so..."

As she trailed off, everyone began taking their seats. Luke took out his cell phone and held it up slightly. "Uh, anyone want to see some embarrassing baby videos of Liv?" He asked.

"Oh, you know what?" Caroline started. "Now would actually be an excellent time to just shut down anything with an on/off switch."

I gave her a look. "Care, who do you think we are, the Brady Bunch? We're not turning off our phones for Thanksgiving."

My point was proven when Luke had turned on a video of Liv anyway. I gave her a look that said, 'I told you so'.

"No, please, just let the food get cold," Caroline said sarcastically. "Whatever that is is _far_ more important."

Caroline grabbed her wineglass and got up from the table, clearly upset. I would have gone after her, but Ivan held out a hand to stop me, and sent me a look that said he'd handle it. And I believed my brother could.

I looked over to the video that Luke was playing, and there was a woman who was recording it. Her voice was kind of familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Footsteps alerted me to someone walking into the room, and I looked over to see Jo and Elena walk into the room, both of them carrying something.

"What are you watching?" Jo asked, her voice slightly shaking and her face paling.

"That kind of sounds like your voice," Elena said, and I snapped my fingers and pointed at my sister.

"Thank you!" I said, knowing she'd answered my question.

"That _is_ my voice," Jo revealed. She set a bowl down on the table as Luke and Liv straightened up to look at her. "I took that video eighteen years ago at a birthday party for the twins."

"Oh my God," Liv breathed.

I looked over my shoulder to see Caroline and Ivan walking in, whilst-to my delight-holding hands.

"Lukas and Olivia?" Jo asked hopefully.

Luke stood up as he said, "Jo as in Josette."

"Hang on," Elena interrupted. "You guys know each other?"

"I'm their sister," Jo answered breathlessly.

And I thought Ivan's and _I_'s first meeting was awkward.

"So if you don't know each other, then how did you all just happen to end up at the same tiny liberal arts school?" Caroline asked.

"We had a family friend here... Sheila Bennett," Jo explained.

I widened my eyes at the mention of Bonnie's grams. "You knew Bonnie Bennett's grandmother?"

"She took me under her wing," Jo continued. "She also helped my family put Kai away."

"Kai? Wh... Kai as in _Damon's _Kai?" Elena pressed.

"As in our brother, my twin," Jo said.

"There are two sets of twins in your family?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, there were until my coven put Kai in a prison world," Luke said.

"Now there's just Luke and me," Liv added.

"Wait," Alex said as he stood up. "Coven? Prison world? As in the Gemini coven?"

Adam raised his eyebrows. "_You_ know them?"

"Know _of_ them," Alex explained. "My parents wanted to make sure I knew there were people powerful enough out there who can do stuff like that. They thought it'd motivate me."

All of a sudden, a screech of a chair against the floor erupted, and our attention was brought back to the only person who wasn't aware of the supernatural in the room: Liam.

"I'm sorry. Did you say coven?" He asked.

"Oh, my God. Liam..." Elena said as she looked over at Liv and Luke. "Is still here.

"I think he meant 'oven'," Tyler tried covering up.

"Yeah!" Elena agreed eagerly.

"Oh, look! We don't have a wine opener on the table," Caroline said. And the quick thinker she was, she began compelling Liam. "Liam, you have a wine opener in your room. Why don't you get it? Take your time." Liam quickly left under the compulsion of Caroline.

"Back to what you were saying. You put Kai away?" I asked.

"Kai killed 4 of our brothers and sisters to make a point, but he was really targeting Lukas and Olivia," Jo revealed.

"Why them?" Tyler asked.

"Because in our coven, twins are in line to be leaders," Jo said.

"Hence the name Gemini," Alex threw in.

"Kai wanted to be the leader, but that wasn't possible if Lukas and Olivia were alive," Jo went on.

We all got seated again, and Liv continued the story. "He was a psychopath, so they sent him away. Kai went to his prison, Jo dodged a bullet, and now the leadership falls on us."

"Okay. Well, now that we've all gotten to know each other a little bit better, could someone please pass the dinner rolls?" Caroline asked, trying to keep the dinner going.

Liv turned around and sent a glare to Caroline. "Sorry that my family drama isn't appropriate dinner conversation, Caroline."

Caroline looked reapproachful and sighed. "That's not what I meant. It's—"

Caroline was cut off by Liv standing up to leave.

"Liv," Tyler tried.

"Just... Leave me alone," She said as she left the dorm.

"Okay. I think I may have missed something," Elena said. "If you and Liv can both be the leaders of your coven, why did she just get so upset?"

"Because there aren't two leaders, are there, Jo?" Luke asked.

Jo hesitated then sighed. "In our coven's tradition, after their twenty second birthday, the twins merge their strength. The stronger one wins, absorbing their twin's power, and the weaker of the two..." She trailed off.

"The weaker of the two what?" Tyler urged.

"The weaker one dies," Luke finished, and then he also got up to leave.

Well, this wasn't turning into a great party.

* * *

It turned out, the rest of the party totally blew.

After Jo's dad tried to kill her, Elena saved her with vampire blood, exposing herself to Liam. Needless to say, she compelled Liam to forget what he saw and to forget that they ever dated. She wasn't even nursing a broken heart. I knew, that she knew deep down, that what she and Liam had wasn't really anything that was going to go anywhere.

Adam helped me clear the table after everyone went home. "Say what you want about Gilbert-Forbes parties," I said as I began washing dishes. "But we know how to throw one hell of a party."

Adam laughed. "Yeah, I don't think I've seen Alex so excited to use his magic before. He was totally freaking out over Jo and the other two Geminis."

"Honestly, I don't know what I have to do to earn a decent year," I said as I started putting some food into a container for Stefan. I felt bad that he hadn't come, and well, there were leftovers. Ivan had already taken some home, and I had already packed away some for Jeremy, Matt, and Liz Forbes. And there was _still_ some left over to give Stefan.

"My guess is sacrifice yourself," Adam joked as he scraped some dishes off.

"Well, I've been unwillingly sacrificed-well, more like used-does that count?" I asked. I tore some tape off and put it on top of the container. I grabbed a Sharpie and began scrawling Stefan's name on top of it. Know Caroline Forbes long enough, and she rubs off on you.

Adam caught sight of the name that I was writing down, and my back stiffened when Adam asked, "Stefan never showed up. Why not?"

I cleared my throat as I felt my face flush. "Caroline thought it might be a better idea for him not to be here if you were going to be here. Besides, he had this thing with his brother that he was doing."

The whole mood of the conversation took a sharp turn as Adam asked, "Juliet, do you like me?"

Crap! I _knew_ I shouldn't have let Elena step out on clean up duty! "Sure, I like you."

Adam rolled his eyes. "At the risk of sounding twelve years old, I mean do you _like me_ like me? Like, want to go out with me and kiss me and hold my hand sort of like?"

I tried swallowing the large lump in my throat. Honestly, this was becoming too much boy drama for me. I should become a nun. Yeah, Juliet Gilbert: the Nun. It had a nice ring to it.

I wrung the towel in my hands as I turned around to face Adam. I guess he could tell answer by the look on my face, because he smiled ruefully. "Wrong guy, huh?"

I felt my heart begin to break a little as I walked over to him. "Adam, it's not like I didn't _try_. I wanted to like you, so much. And when we went out on our dates, I thought it was becoming something real."

"Then what changed?" He asked.

"I did," I answered. "I know the whole 'it's not you, it's me' thing sucks, but it's true. I've been going through so much and my feelings are all over the place and now...and now Stefan's back in my life."

"The complicated ex-boyfriend? The one that interrupted our date?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'm so sorry, Adam. But you've got to understand. I've been in love with Stefan since high school. And when we started dating, everything was great. But then he just up and left and I thought that the only way to make myself feel better over what he did was to _force_ myself to be happy." I felt tears prickling the back of my eyes as I cupped Adam's face, forcing him to look at me. There were a few tears in his eyes too, and it made me feel like the worst person in the whole world. "You're a great guy, Adam. And there is a girl-or guy, I'm not here to judge-that is just _waiting_ for you to complete them. And it wouldn't be right of me to keep you from them, would it?"

Adam managed a smile. "I guess not," He said. "If it means anything, I hope you and Stefan both find the happiness that you're looking for. Well, mainly you. Because you're a great girl, Juliet Gilbert. And if Stefan makes you happy, then I wish you the best."

I smiled up at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for being so great. Promise to stay friends? Because I still think you're a great guy. I can help set you up with people!"

Adam let out a laugh. "Happy Friendsgiving, Juliet."

I gave him a smile of my own. "Happy Friendsgiving, Adam."

* * *

I felt much better when I woke up the next day. Adam and I had our priorities set out, the leftovers were packed away, and my bio test was cancelled. That alone was celebration worthy.

I was whistling as I put the containers of food-Matt, Jeremy, Liz and Stefan's-into my bag so I could make those delivery runs before my first class in the afternoon (thank God for afternoon classes). I walked out the door and locked it. I turned around to leave and was surprised to see Stefan walking over to me. "Hey," I said.

"Hi," He said as I met him halfway.

I shifted my balance from foot to foot. This was still a little uncomfortable-but a good uncomfortable. "It's a good thing you're here, it makes my job easier." I reached into my bag and pulled out Stefan's leftovers. "Surprisingly, there was a lot left over. Well, sort of. Everybody's appetite pretty much died after Jo almost did."

I immediately winced at my choice of words, but Stefan looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. "That was insensitive," I stated the obvious.

"Thanks for the doggie bag," He said as he lifted up the container. "You even put a nice little label on it. Caroline is rubbing off on you."

"It was the least I could do after getting you kicked off the Friendsgiving invitation list," I said. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"Don't worry about it," Stefan said, waving it off. But I knew him. And it bothered him that I picked Adam over him.

"The only reason that I invited Adam was because I felt bad," I said quickly, not expecting the words to come out. But I had started, I couldn't exactly just _stop_. "He was spending Thanksgiving alone, and well...you had Damon."

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, I have Damon...now." He cleared his throat. "Listen, when Damon was gone...I pushed you away."

I didn't see how this was relevant, but it looked like I was going to get something out of Stefan, so I wasn't going to stop him. "Yeah, I kind of got that after you didn't answer my calls or texts. Or anyone else's for that matter. You pushed away everyone."

"I know, but I pushed you away the most," He said, and his liquid green eyes were burning a hole into my own. "I knew that you'd be the one person who would sit with me and let me cry...and I didn't want to cry anymore. I've shown you every inch of my soul, and you know it as well as I do. I knew you'd be the one person who'd get me to break, but what I needed was to be strong. And I thought that leaving you was the best way to do it. That's why I had to push you away the most."

The tears had started building up again during his speech. I think I was supposed to feel a little offended, but I felt mostly relieved at his revelation. Praying my voice wouldn't crack, I asked, "So it wasn't because you didn't love me, right?"

Stefan gave me an encouraging smile. "Of course not. I'm back here, aren't I? Trying to make things right?"

I matched his smile as I slowly went over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I buried my face against his shoulder as I heard him drop his container and wrap his own arms around me.

"So, what does this mean?" He asked as we swayed gently from side to side in our hug.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "Just enjoy it."

And we did.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Whew! Finished the episode in a couple of hours! **

**I know I skipped over a lot of the ending but oh my God that part was so **_**boring**_**.**

**Anyways, until next time, which hopefully isn't as long as this past wait was!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**


	31. I Alone

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Did you hear the news? Nina's leaving TVD! Yup. I have no idea how Julie Plague plans on continuing the show without its lead actress but I guess we're gonna have to see what she's gonna pull out of her ass this time.

And ugh, this means more Steroline. I've already got a major plotline for Juliet coming up in season 7 (that'll hopefully work with the events of season 7, whatever they are) so there's that to look forward to, I guess.

Anyways!

P.S, I apologize in advance for the sucky and short chapter. It's just like Black Hole Sun, I needed to do something to get it out of the way.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Next time you suggest going jogging, remind me to shove your head in the dirt," I said breathlessly to Elena.

"Seriously, I shouldn't be winning," Jeremy commented as we ran.

"Two weeks without booze doesn't make you Iron Man. I can still vamp circles around you," Elena laughed.

"You mean, you can cheat," Jeremy pointed out.

"He's right, you know," I said as we continued jogging.

"Ha! Or I could pants you in front of the entire women's volleyball team," Elena said to our brother.

"Doubt they'd mind," Jeremy commented, and I wrinkled my nose at my brother's insinuation.

Elena the cheater ran ahead of us but came to a stop and turned around. "Okay. I give up. What did you do with our miserable half-drunk brother?"

Jeremy sighed. "He canceled Bonnie's cell phone, cried until there was nothing left, and got all the grief out of his system. He is ready to move on."

Elena looked over at me, and I could tell we were both thinking the same thing. We both knew that Bonnie was still alive, but we hadn't gotten the chance to tell Jeremy yet.

Jeremy looked between the two of us. "You two are doing that thing again. That...I don't know, _sister_ thing. What is it?"

"It's about Bonnie," Elena said.

* * *

We pulled Jeremy away to the side and explained everything that had happened. He could only look at us in disbelief as he said, "Damon said she found peace."

"He thought Kai had killed her, but he just found out that she's alive, and he's doing everything that he can to-" Elena started.

"So you're back to defending him," Jeremy scoffed. "Wow! And all it took was one hollow promise to bring Bonnie back."

"Hey, watch the attitude, mister!" I scolded. "That's your older sister you're talking to."

"It's not hollow, Jer," Elena said, trying to desperately change the subject somehow. "Liv's looking for a way to send us over there so that we can find Bonnie and bring her back."

"And if you can't?" Jeremy asked.

"Jer, this is good news. This is hope!" I said.

"You're right, Jules," Jeremy said in a fake voice. "This _is _good news. Tonight, I'm gonna see Bonnie again, and everything is gonna go back to the way it was because I have never heard that before. Look Jules, I know you're all about hope and everything, but not everybody has it." And with that, Jeremy got up and left to continue his jogging.

I sighed as I turned to face Elena. "What are we gonna do with that kid?" She asked.

"I guess until we bring Bonnie back and have her right in front of him there isn't much that we can do," I answered. "You know how pig headed he can be."

"Well, Damon and I are going to try and get her back today with Liv's help," She assured me. "I just hope we can do it."

I pointed a finger in her direction. "Now don't you go and start not believing in yourself. You two can do this. And if you can't, I will shove your head in the dirt, for real this time."

"And what are you going to do today?" She asked. "If you aren't going to come with Damon and me?"

"Stefan said that Matt needed him for something and he asked me to tag along," I said with a shrug.

Elena rolled her eyes at me. "Can't you just admit that you missed him and get back together with him?"

I gave her a joking look. "Why are you so eager to set up your ex-boyfriend with me?"

"Because I know how much he loves you," She answered in a not joking way at all. "And I know how much you love him, and it's clearly killing the both of you, not being together."

"I could say the same thing for you and Damon," I said. "I know how much Damon loves you. And how much you used to love him."

Elena looked down at her hands. "We're working on it."

I rolled my eyes. "Story of my life. At least for the past few months."

* * *

"Did Matt say what he needed you for?" I asked as Stefan drove.

He shook his head. "Just to get to this diner just outside of Mystic Falls."

"Huh," I huffed as I leaned back in my seat. "It's not like Matt to be cryptic. I guess he's just branching out. That'd be good for him."

Stefan chuckled and looked over at me the best he could while he was still trying to pay attention to the road. "Thanks for coming with me, by the way. I know there's other things you could have been doing today."

"Hey, what are friends for?" I said as I tucked my hands under my thighs.

A dull silence took over the space, and I suddenly felt like there wasn't enough air in the car. My fingers inched towards the window controller and I lowered the window, hoping to catch some air.

"So..." I started. Where could this conversation go? "Christmas is coming up."

Really? That's _all_ I could come up with?

Stefan nodded. "Yeah."

My fingers twitched nervously. I feel like this was the first conversation Stefan and I have had recently that a) didn't involve a fight b) didn't end up with me or him in tears and c) didn't involve romantic declarations.

I know I said that was what I wanted, but man, I wish I _hadn't_.

"Done all your Christmas shopping?" I asked.

Oh my God, I was so bad at this.

"No, not yet," He answered, and it was clear this small talk was awkward for him too. "You?"

"No," I answered. "I've shopped for all my friends except for Damon, Alaric, Tyler, and Caroline. And you." I turned my head over. "What do you want for Christmas?"

His eyes practically bugged out of his head. "You're getting me a _Christmas_ present?"

I nodded. I wasn't planning to originally (I usually do all my Christmas shopping as early as September-I _hated_ the holiday rush) because that was back when I was still mad at Stefan. Now that that anger has faded, I needed to buy him something. I had no idea what, though. Last year I had gotten him a first edition of The Great Gatsby that I had to literally fight a middle aged woman for. Stefan had gotten me a CD of my favourite band, Arctic Monkeys, which okay, I was disappointed about, but then I actually _opened_ the CD case to see _tickets _to Arctic Monkeys, and I knew I had picked a good one.

"You're my friend, Stefan. I have to get you something. What do you want?" I asked.

Stefan seemed to consider it for a while. I didn't think that his answer needed _this_ much thinking. I would have thought it'd have been something simple. If I had to have a repeat of the Gatsby Catastrophe, I would bear through it.

His driving slowed as he finally answered. "A day with you."

My heart practically stopped. "What?"

He looked over at me. "For my present. I want to spend a day with you."

_Not_ what I was expecting. It would have been so much simpler for me to buy something, or even _make_ something. Not a date.

"Like a date?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Not necessarily. It'd be a day with just you and me to do anything we wanted to."

I didn't even realize that the car had stopped until Stefan cleared his throat and looked out the window. "We're here. Let's go see what Matt needs."

I shrugged off the spell as I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door to his car to get out. The two of us walked into the restaurant and saw Matt with a pretty girl, along with...Enzo?

"For the record, he did try and kill me first," I overheard Enzo say to the girl. He turned to Matt. "You are the most terrible wingman."

"Enzo, leave," Matt growled.

"Or what?" Enzo scoffed.

"Or maybe I'll pick up where Tripp left off," Matt threatened.

"Go on then," Enzo challenged.

We finally caught up to them so we could intervene. "Hey. I really wouldn't do that if I were you. You hurt him, and, uh, I hurt you, and really don't feel like cleaning up two corpses today."

Enzo tsked. "Making threats in front of impressionable family. How brutish."

Stefan scrunched up his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

The girl next to Matt piped up. "Me. He's, uh, talking about me. I'm Zach and Gail's daughter, Sarah Salvatore."

I scrunched my eyebrows and turned to Stefan. "Look, I know we had a falling out, but you could have mentioned this, you know."

* * *

"So after the third group home, I got myself emancipated, which is surprisingly difficult, by the way," Sarah explained to Stefan.

I tapped my fingernails against the table as Stefan talked with his apparent niece. His nephew, Zach Salvatore's daughter. But I knew Stefan and there was this funny vibe coming off of him and towards his great niece.

"Yeah. You seem like the type that would do better on your own," Stefan agreed. He looked over at a waitress, then back to Sarah. "Hey. Do you want a drink?"

"Sure," Sarah agreed brightly.

Stefan flagged down the waitress, and she walked over to us. "Hey. Excuse me. Can we get two chocolate milk shakes and one strawberry milkshake, please?" The waitress nodded and Stefan turned back to Sarah. "It's a, uh, Salvatore family tradition. Except for the strawberry milkshake. That one's for her," He nodded over at me, and I smiled. Stefan _did_ know that I preferred strawberry things.

"I'm all for family traditions," Sarah grinned.

As soon as the milkshake blender started up, the air around Stefan went from playful to business as he leaned forward slightly. "All right. Listen. In 10 seconds, you're gonna get up and walk out of here with me, smiling, acting like nothing's wrong. The acting part shouldn't be too hard for you. I know you're lying."

What? What the hell?

I didn't want to blow anything away (Stefan was clearly using the blender as a distraction so that Enzo couldn't hear this) so I had to wait to ask him about it.

I never did get my milkshake because Stefan said, "Ready to go?" in a cheerful manner.

Sarah barely managed to fake a smile as the three of us stood up. I walked close to Stefan and whispered in his ear, "What's going on?"

"Just come with us, you'll find out," He barely whispered back.

Matt noticed the three of us stand up and head towards the door and came over. "Hey. Where you guys going?"

"Oh, just a little family drive," Stefan lied.

Matt still looked unsure. "It's ok, Matt, I promise. I'll call you in a bit."

I leaned over and gently touched Matt's arm. "I'll be there Matt. Nothing's gonna happen."

That seemed to finally convince him and he nodded. "All right."

* * *

"I told you Zach Salvatore is my father, Gail is my mother," Sarah insisted. She held up pictures to Stefan. "I have these pictures!"

We were in his Stefan's car, driving to...I didn't know where. Stefan insisted that I sit in the back so that he could keep a proper eye on this Sarah Salvatore imposter.

Stefan scoffed. "Ah. That's your big evidence, a picture you stole? You gave yourself up the second you got in the car."

"Why don't you believe me?" Sarah/Not Sarah thundered.

Stefan brought the car to an abrupt stop as he turned to look at...whatever her name was. "Because right now, Sarah Salvatore is in her dorm room at Duke university, where she studies as an art major, and she didn't bounce from group home to group home. She was adopted right out of the hospital by a great family. I made sure of it."

Whoa. There was a lot more to this story than I originally thought.

"You know her," Not Sarah deduced.

Stefan nodded. "She's my family. Even though she doesn't know me, I've looked out for her for her entire life. Now who the hell are you?"

Not Sarah looked like she was going to answer, but right before she opened the door of the car and tried to run away, but Stefan vamp sped out of the car and was now standing in front of her.

_Stupid non-vampire speed_, I thought to myself as I struggled to get out of Stefan's car. I managed to, and I was standing behind Not Sarah as she said, "Monique. My name is Monique."

The air around the three of us calmed down as Stefan, Monique, and I leaned against Stefan's car as Monique explained herself. "I met Sarah at sleep-away camp, or as my foster family liked to call it, get the hell out of my house camp. Sarah had a great life. Me? Not so much. So when I found out that she had no desire to find her real family-"

"You found them for her," I deduced. "Or, for yourself, really."

"Couldn't be any worse than what I had," Monique grumbled.

"Well, considering the fact that my brother killed her mom while she was pregnant, I don't know about that. I let him believe that the baby died. I wanted to protect her. Even though my brother's not the same person he was before, it's safer if he doesn't know. I know that may be a little bit extreme, but I want her to have a normal life no matter what," Stefan said, and his demeanor changed again as he started moving towards Monique, who took subtle steps back. "See, the problem is with you around, there's a threat now, someone who knows her other than me."

"What about her?" Monique asked as she nodded her head towards me. "She knows."

"She's different," Stefan argued. "My brother knows that I'd kill him if he hurt her. Besides, my brother _likes_ her. You're nothing to him." Stefan put his hands up. "I'm not gonna hurt you. I just need you to take off your vervain."

Reluctantly, Monique took off her vervain necklace and handed it to Stefan, who immediately started compelling her. "You've never met or heard of Sarah Salvatore. Forget everything that happened here, leave Virginia, and never come back."

Monique blankly nodded as she began walking away from us. Suddenly, a car honking its horn interrupted us, and Stefan and I turned around to see Matt's car.

"Crap," I muttered under my breath.

"Hey! You okay?" Matt asked as he got out and walked over to Monique.

"Who are you?" She asked him.

Matt instantly understood what had been done to her. "You compelled her? Why?" He asked Stefan.

"She's not my family, she's a con artist, and I'm just trying to get rid of her," Stefan explained. He turned to Monique. "Get out of here."

Monique was going to do just that when there was a sudden blur in front of her, and Enzo was standing in front of her.

"Aah! What the hell?" She screeched.

"No screaming, love, and don't move," Enzo compelled her.

"Enzo, what are you doing?" Matt asked angrily.

Enzo grabbed Monique and pulled her back against him. "I want the whole story, the one not obscured by the dulcet tones of a blender."

"I told you she's a con artist. There is no Sarah Salvatore. That baby died when Damon killed her mom," Stefan lied, and I was proud to say I didn't look over at him when he lied. I understood right away why he had. He was trying to keep the _real_ Sarah Salvatore safe.

"Then why listen to this one babble on for 20 minutes, why whisk her away to speak privately, hmm?" Enzo asked. "Why wipe her memory, Stefan? She knows something."

"Come on. Don't do this. Just let her go," Stefan said.

"See? He's digging in," Enzo argued. "Can always spot a liar. How about a countdown? That's fair for everyone, right? 5 seconds. 4...3..."

"Enzo, if you know what's good for you, you'll let that girl go _right now_," I threatened, feeling my magic tingle in my fingers.

"Oh, look who's gone right back to being Stefan Salvatore's little cheerleader," Enzo belitted.

I would have torn him a new one right then and there if Matt hadn't interrupted me. "Enzo, let her go, or I swear-"

"You'll what?" Enzo asked.

"I will kill you," Matt threatened.

"Will you? Because Stefan's 5 seconds are up," Enzo said.

The words "Enzo, no!" had barely passed my lips when Enzo snapped Monique's neck, letting the poor girl fall to the ground. How could I ever have thought there was a shred of good in Enzo?

"No!" Matt screamed, and he ran forward to attack Enzo.

I would have done the same thing, but I needed to keep a level head. I grabbed one of Matt's arms while Stefan grabbed the other.

"Don't be stupid. Don't be stupid," Stefan said to him.

"Just think. All of this could have been avoided if you'd have just told the truth. No matter. I'll find out sooner or later," Enzo said, and he walked away. For now, I let him. But oh man, he was going to _get it from me _later.

The three of us stood in awkward silence until I cleared my throat and said, "Let's get her body out of here before someone sees."

I helped Stefan lift Monique's body into Matt's truck. "Look. I'm sorry that Enzo killed her. He's-" Stefan started.

"A monster," Matt finished. "Yeah, I know, but you could have stopped him, and you didn't."

"Matt," I protested in a small voice.

"What, you think that was easy for me, watching an innocent girl die?" Stefan asked as he turned around to face Matt.

"I don't know actually. You're not exactly the sharing type," Matt said.

"Matt!" I said louder in disbelief.

"Matt, I promise you that everything I do I have thought out over and over, making sure it's the right thing to do," Stefan explained.

"So we're just supposed to trust that you know best?" Matt asked.

"No. You're supposed to trust that I'm nothing like Enzo," Stefan said.

"The problem is you are, because no matter how close vampires get to humans, our lives will always mean less, so when push comes to shove, we'll be on opposite sides, which is what Tripp knew and I didn't," Matt argued. He looked over at me. "You'd do good to realize it too, Jules." And with that, Matt left.

"Matt!" I called after him as he went over to the driver's side of his car. He ignored me as he got in and drove away.

I growled as I put my hands to my forehead, taking in deep breaths. Well that was just _great_. Matt was mad at me (though I didn't think that was fair-he was mad at Stefan, and because I stood up for Stefan, he was mad at me by association), I realized too late that Enzo was an awful person (someone remind me to send his Christmas present back), and another person was dead.

_Not_ how I planned on spending my day.

"You don't think he's right, do you?" Stefan asked, and I turned around to face him. "About humans and vampires, I mean."

I took a deep breath. How to answer this question without picking sides?

If I was going to be honest, I was on Matt's side. Whenever things happened with vampires, humans were always the ones to die. It wasn't our fault we weren't as indestructible as vampires, but the danger wouldn't have been an issue if vampires weren't involved all together.

"Well, I don't think it's a secret that when vampires and humans get involved, humans always get the short end of the stick," I started delicately. "But Matt was wrong to think that all humans lose. Sometimes, humans don't lose. Matt hasn't. I haven't. As long as there are humans like us, willing to help the supernatural, what Matt says is wrong."

Stefan smiled a little as he walked over to me. "I like that you're always the mediator in a situation."

I lifted a shoulder slightly. "Someone's got to be neutral. Might as well be me."

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I took it out to see a text from Elena. Two words that instantly made me day even worse.

_EllieXX- No Bonnie._

My eyes instantly filled with tears as I lowered my cell phone and looked up at Stefan.

"What's wrong?" He asked immediately, putting his hands on my arms.

"They didn't get Bonnie," I hiccuped, my tears spilling out of my eyes. "They were so sure. _I_ was so sure...I had so much hope. I don't...I don't..."

I was cut off as Stefan tugged me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me. I wrapped my arms around him as I let myself cry into his shoulder. I thought I would be in a different position right about now. I'd still be crying, but tears of joy and relief because it was _Bonnie_ who was wrapped up in my hug. I could practically hear her laughter ringing through my ears as she cried, and that made me cry even harder. Stefan held me and rubbed my back gently as he let me cry.

I made a promise to myself. When I stopped crying, I'd be stronger. I was starting to find that letting myself cry was just a way to shed all of my problems and when I stopped, I'd be ready to take them on again.

But for a good long while, I let myself cry.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Again, apologize for the content of this chapter! It's a filler chapter, really. I just needed it out of the way.**

**I might or might not be doing this from now on, but I'm gonna start doing little synopsis for the next episode, to hold you guys over until the next update.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Christmas Through Your Eyes...**_

**Juliet is determined to not let anything ruin her Yuletide joy as she prepares for Christmas, her favourite holiday. Ugly Christmas sweaters, hot chocolate with peppermint, Christmas carols, and gift wrapping are on her to-do list. However, devastating news about the people around her is starting to take a toll on her holiday cheer. Can Juliet find a way to spread some light in a season that's starting to look dark?**


	32. Christmas Through Your Eyes

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Good news!

Last night, I planned out everything I wanted to do for the next ten episodes! And let me tell you, it's going to be _great_.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell rock,_" I sang along as I danced around my dorm room. My hair was tied up into a bun to keep my hair out of the way, I was wearing thick tights with a pair of warm boots, and an ugly Christmas sweater. I was _definitely_ in the Christmas mood.

I was making cookies, wrapping presents, and decorating the dorm. Caroline had a class, but when she was done she was going to come home and help me.

I sang along to the Christmas carols that were coming from my radio as I wrapped up the box with Elena's present. I was in such a good mood! The aroma of gingerbread men was filling the room (as well as cinnamon from the scented candles Adam had gotten me as an early Christmas present), I had finally gotten off of my butt to wrap up Christmas presents, and snow had been lightly falling outside. _Nothing _could bring me down!

I grabbed another bag from the small pile I had assembled when I first started wrapping presents, but I couldn't remember who it was for. I reached into the bag for the sticky note I had put in there with the person's name on it. Was it Damon's? No, I had already wrapped up his favourite bottle of bourbon. Elena's? Alaric's, maybe?

The answer was none of the above as I saw the name I had written on the pink sticky note.

_ Bonnie :)_

The little sticky note burned a huge hole in my hand as I held on to it. When had I bought Bonnie's Christmas present?

I reached into the bag and produced a CD and a poster. It was from her all time favourite band. The memory of buying it last January when we had gotten Bonnie back came back to me as I remembered reading online that the band were coming to Georgia for a CD signing. I remembered the day I took off from school to drive all the way to Georgia to get them to personalize it for her. I remembered thinking _Bonnie is going to be so happy!_...

A _ding_! from my oven made me snap back to reality and drop the CD on to the floor. I shrugged the spell off as I stood up and went over to my oven. The sweet smell of gingerbread was overwhelming as I slipped a pair of oven mitts on and took them out of the oven. I picked one up, blew on it hard, and took a bite. Not bad for the first time from scratch.

There was a knock on my door, and I skipped over to it to open it. I swung the door open, and Liz, Caroline's mom, was on the other side.

"Liz!" I said happily, though the word came out all garbled because of the cookie.

Liz laughed as she walked in, carrying what looked like a heavy box. "I see those manners I've taught you have gone to waste."

I swallowed my bite as I closed the door. "Not to waste...just to the side of my mind." She dropped the box on Caroline's bed as I walked over to her. "What's with the box?"

"Well, Caroline's disappointed that she can't come home for the holidays, so I thought..."

"You'd bring the holidays to _her_," I finished as I smiled. "That's a great idea."

Liz smiled. "Thanks. Now, wanna help me start decorating the tree?"

The tree in our dorm room was already decorated, but we didn't have many ornaments as all of mine and Elena's were destroyed when she set our house on fire (forever bitter). "Sure!" I said happily as I took a final bite of my cookie before I put it down. "Want a gingerbread man?"

Liz nodded, and I went over to grab her one. She took out her cell phone and began placing a call. "Caroline? Yeah, I was just calling because I wanted to know our plans for Christmas."

Caroline said something on her end, to which Liz responded, "What happened to Christmas being your favourite time of the year?"

More talking on Caroline's end. The door opened and in walked Caroline, who stopped talking on the phone when she noticed her mother standing in the dorm.

"What are you _doing_?" She asked as she hung up the phone. "You're supposed to be at the Mystic Falls tree decorating ceremony."

"I'm playing hooky this year," Liz said as she walked over to her daughter. "I figure just because you can't come home for the holidays doesn't mean the holidays can't come to you."

Caroline began rifling through the boxes and made a noise of happiness as she pulled out an ornament. "You even brought our favourite ornaments. Mom!"

"And I made gingerbread cookies!" I said as I held the plate up. Caroline smirked as she took one off the plate and took a big bite.

"Mmm, this is really good!" She said. "Really surprising, especially since you baked them."

I gave her a playful hit on the arm as footsteps came out from the hallway. "Hey, uh, I didn't know which ones to get, so I got both," Stefan said as he held up two boxes of Christmas lights.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in confusion. Stefan told me he was busy today.

Stefan pointed at Liz with one of the boxes. "Your mom needed Christmas lights."

Caroline and I turned our heads to look at her mother. "You have a huge dorm!" Liz defended. "And I thought we could use an extra set of hands."

"In that case, I'll invite Ivan," Caroline announced as she pulled her phone out to call my brother (aka her boyfriend. Finally! It certainly took them long enough).

I rolled my eyes at her as I turned to Stefan. "The little lights," I said as I pointed at them. Time to get decorating!

* * *

_**Mystic Falls, 2007**_

"Well, maybe you'll meet a cute surfer," Elena suggested to Bonnie.

"Doubtful. My dad's conference is two hours away from any beach," Bonnie pouted.

"What a waste," I said as I popped some popcorn from the garlands we were supposed to be stringing into my mouth.

"Ahh! Cute surfer? Where?" Caroline interrupted.

"Nowhere," Elena answered. "Bonnie's dad is dragging her on a work trip, so we're gonna ask our parents if she can spend the holiday with us," She finished, nudging me.

"Are you serious?" Bonnie asked.

Elena nodded. "Yeah. The 3 of us have never spent Christmas apart. I plan on keeping it that way, even though Jeremy will hate it. It's always fun to torture him."

"Oh! I love you two!" Bonnie said as she wrapped her arms around us. "Almost as much as I love torturing Jeremy."

"Okay, great!" Caroline said as she grabbed some of the garlands we had strung already. "Now that Christmas is saved, let's get these garlands on the tree before they end up on your hips."

Caroline turned and walked away towards the tree. Bonnie, Elena and I turned to look at each other, a little hurt about Caroline's comment, but we immediately brushed it off with giggles as we stuffed more popcorn into our mouths and headed towards the tree.

* * *

"Here, I got it," Stefan's voice snapped me out of my daze. He took the lights from my hands and strung them up at the spot I was too short to reach.

Decorating our dorm room made me think of the Mystic Falls tree decorating tradition and about how I was missing it this year, possibly for the very first time. I could have gone, but it wouldn't be the same without my friends and half of my family. So, I had started reminiscing about my years past. When everything was still okay. Well, I guess now was okay, but the past was a better version of okay.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he strung them up. "You look a little...not here."

I shrugged a little. "I was just thinking of home. The Mystic Falls tree decorating tradition was one of my favourite things. I always went all out." I slightly winced at the thought of my high school freshman self. "Oh God, I was a nerd."

Stefan chuckled as we started hanging up more lights. "Don't worry, when I met you, I thought the nerd thing was cute. It still is."

"Ha ha," I said, though there was no humour in my laugh. I looked over my shoulder at Ivan and Caroline, who were laughing about something as they strung ornaments on the Christmas tree and nibbled on gingerbread cookies.

Stefan caught me staring. "They make a nice couple."

I nodded as I turned my attention back to him. "Yeah, they do. I don't think I've seen Caroline or Ivan so happy."

Stefan smiled as we both reached for the same light. Our fingers only brushed for a second, but I felt a surge of electricity jolt through my hand. I immediately brought it back and practically cradled my hand against my chest. "Sorry," I mumbled as I reached for another string.

"Hey, it's okay," Stefan said as he grabbed the one we were both going for. I looked up at him and it was a bad decision. We both locked eyes, and I could feel something deep stirring within me. Something...that I'd never felt before.

The spell was broken when I looked over and saw Caroline coming over to us. "Hey Stefan, Ivan needs some help with the star on top. Can you give him a hand? You're taller than me."

"Sure," Stefan nodded as he went over to help Ivan, who was clearly struggling with the light. If we weren't different genders, I would have sworn we were identical twins-we both looked the same, and we were both the same height.

Caroline turned to me. "Listen, I'm sorry about my mom. I asked her why she had invited Stefan to help us, and she said she was trying to move things along between the two of you. She said she was tired of watching her other daughter miserable." Caroline sighed as she played with her fingers. "But don't worry. I told her it was none of her business and not to meddle with the two of you anymore. You're moving at your own pace because that's what you wanted."

I smiled at my best friend. "It's okay. She's just doing what she thinks is best for me." I tucked my bangs behind my ears. "Honestly, it's been so long since someone's done that for me I don't mind."

Liz suddenly returned, holding a tray of hot chocolate. "Who wants hot chocolate?" She asked.

"Is there peppermint?" I asked as I went over to grab us some napkins.

"Mom?!" Caroline said worriedly behind me, and I whirled around to see Liz faltering, dropping the tray of drinks.

"Oh, wow. I just got really..." Liz said, and her knees buckled. Before she could fall to the ground, Stefan vamp sped over to her and caught her.

"Mom! You okay?" Caroline asked worriedly as she ran over to her mother.

Liz nodded, but Caroline wasn't convinced and insisted on taking her to the hospital. So, all five of us piled into my car and I drove us over to the Whitmore Medical Center, where Caroline got Liz checked in and they began running tests.

Caroline and I were waiting outside of Liz's room on a bench. Ivan had gone to get himself something to eat, and Stefan had gone to get something to take his feeding edge off. I was playing with my fingers when I heard footsteps running over to us, and it was Elena.

"Hey!" She said.

"Hey," we both answered.

"What happened?" Elena asked.

"I don't know. She just collapsed. One second, we're decorating, and then the next, she's just on the ground," Caroline explained. "Maybe she forgot to eat. You know, sometimes, she skips breakfast."

"And when was the last time you ate, Caroline, as in fed?" Elena asked.

"Oh, God. Now you sound like Ivan," She groaned. "Look, they have her sedated. She's going to be asleep for a while. Can you just come and distract me?"

Elena came over and sat on the other side of Caroline as Caroline asked, "How's the search for the new Ascendant thingy?"

"Not good. Damon and I spent the night researching," Elena answered.

"God. Poor Bonnie. Do you think she knows it's Christmas? You know she never liked being away from us at Christmas," Caroline pointed out.

"I don't know, and I hope she doesn't," I answered. "She loves Christmas, and it's like the first one we're going to miss together. I'd rather her not know that _and_ be stuck in a stupid prison."

Caroline nodded in agreement before she turned to Elena. "So are you and Damon..."

"I know what you're thinking, and no," Elena said.

"Actually, I was going to say that I think it's great how he's always been there for you when it mattered, you know, through thick and thin, good times and bad times. Maybe I haven't given him enough credit," Caroline mused.

"You're clearly malnourished," Elena joked and it actually managed to rise a laugh from the three of us.

Elena went with Caroline to get her something to eat after we ganged up on her and insisted while I went to go and find Stefan. I found him outside of Liz's room, looking through the open window.

I saw that there were a bunch of doctors in there, checking over Liz's vitals and her charts and whatever else. Anything I knew about medicine was from helping Elena study for her tests, Grey's Anatomy, and General Hospital.

I stood next to Stefan so that my arm was just brushing his. "Why are there so many doctors in there? If Liz just fainted, shouldn't they just give her a dose of energy boost and send her on her merry way?"

"That doctor just came over from radiology," Stefan said as he pointed to one of the doctors in the room. "I overheard her say 'glioblastoma.'"

Radiology? Glioblastoma? I didn't know what the "gilo" part meant, but I knew what the "blastoma" part did. "What? But...but...how?"

"Remember when we brought her in a couple of weeks ago after Tripp's guys grabbed her?" He asked and continued when I nodded. "Doctors ran some tests, and apparently they found something suspicious."

"But how can that be?" I asked, my heart threatening to tear. "I know Caroline, and would have said something, to me if no one else."

"Or maybe her mom hasn't told her yet," Stefan suggested.

A bulge formed in my throat as I processed the information. I had to know. I had to know _for sure_.

The door to Liz's room opened and the radiologist came out. I immediately ran over to her and grabbed her arm. "_Fac, ut locutus, quod ego dico. Nulla optio_," I spelled, and the woman's eyes glazed over in response to my own version of compulsion. My own version only lasted for a few minutes, so I had to be quick. "Tell me Liz Forbes' situation."

"Her recent MRI showed a lesion on her brainstem," the doctor told me. "We think it's metastasized to her spine."

Oh my God. To translate from doctor speak, there was basically a tumor on Liz's brainstem and they think it had spread to her spine.

I started waving my hands frantically. "But...in the tv shows...they do operations, don't they? Just do an operation."

"If the tumor's already spread, it would be impossible," the doctor informed me.

"Chemo!" I said as another treatment method came to my mind. "What about chemo?"

The doctor sadly shook her head. "I'm afraid the tumor is spreading too fast for chemo to be able to work effectively."

Tears filled my eyes as I asked, "Does she know? Does Liz know what's going on with her?"

The doctor nodded. "For a few weeks now, but news like this takes time to digest."

The doctor began to walk away, but I grabbed her arm before she could. Tears were practically spilling out of my eyes. "No, doctor, you don't understand. This is _Liz Forbes_. She's my best friend's _mother_. I can't stand here and let her die. Please, you have to save her."

The doctor removed herself from my death grip. "We're doing all we can, miss. I promise we'll do the best we can."

The woman then left, leaving me standing alone in the hallway in my ugly Christmas sweater that suddenly didn't seem funny anymore. I turned around to go into the bathroom and cry for a while, but I saw Stefan standing behind me.

Something inside of me snapped and I ran over to him, throwing myself into his arms. He stood there and wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

"Hey, we'll all get through this," Stefan said.

I nodded. "Yeah, we will. We can just feed Liz vampire blood, and she'll be fine."

Stefan pulled back slightly. "What?"

I shrugged innocently. "Vampire blood heals all, right? We just give a little to Liz and she'll be fine."

"Jules, do you think that if vampire blood cured cancer we would have heard about that by now?" Stefan asked, and my reality came crashing.

Vampire blood wouldn't work. Surgery was most likely not going to be an option. And Liz Forbes was out of them.

"I can't believe this," I choked as my hand went to my mouth. I nestled myself back into Stefan's arms and leaned against his chest. "This is _us_. So much has been thrown our way in the past two years and most recently, there's a sociopathic witch who escaped from the hell that my other best friend is trapped in. We always have a plan for every single little thing. But if Caroline's mom dies, it'll ruin her."

"I know," Stefan said. "She doesn't deserve this. She's a good person. She's happy, she's kind."

I pulled back so that my hands were resting on Stefan's chest, and his arms were still wrapped around me. "I know. Caroline is _everything_ to me. We've always been closer. Whenever people thought of me, they thought of Caroline, and vice versa. When people thought of Bonnie, they thought of Elena, and vice versa. We've been through _everything_ together." I nodded my head firmly as I realized what I had to do. "I have to be the one to tell her. Sooner or later she's going to grow impatient and I think it would be so much harder for her to hear it from a doctor she compels."

"Jules, let me do it," Stefan said as he cupped my face.

I shook my head as I brought his hands down. "It has to be me, Stefan. No offense, but she's my _sister_. I have to."

Stefan eventually nodded and tugged me back in so that he was hugging me again. "I know." He leaned his cheek against my hair as I struggled to keep it together.

I could feel tears starting to slip down again, so I pulled myself out of Stefan's grip as I wiped off my tears. "Do me a favour. Find Ivan and tell him. He's going to need to be there for her."

Stefan nodded. He kissed me gently on the forehead, squeezed my hand, and left. I balled my hands into fists, my fingernails biting into the palm of my hand. The slight twinge in physical pain kept me distracted from my emotional pain as I prepared to deliver the worst news I'd ever have to tell anyone.

But first, there was something I had to get.

* * *

I fiddled with the wrapped box in my hands as I walked over to where Caroline was sitting. Ivan was no where to be seen, so I could only hope that Stefan had done what I had asked.

Caroline was fiddling with the Secret Santa present I had gotten her last year (a ring on her right finger that she hasn't taken off since I had given it to her) when I walked up to her. She saw my shadow and looked up to see me.

I smiled the best I could. "Hi."

She smiled back, but I knew it wasn't a real one. "Hey. Uh, there's no news. Apparently, they're still running tests."

"That's cool. Caroline, we need to talk about something," I said as I sat next to her. "But first, there's something I want to give you." I held out the small box.

"What is it?" She asked as she took it from me.

"It's part of your Christmas present," I answered.

She raised an eyebrow at me in question. "But I thought you didn't believe in giving Christmas presents early. Especially when I begged and begged and _begged_ you for that really cool present you kept saying you got me."

I grasped the edge of the seat tightly in my hands as I brought my legs together. "I thought I'd break my rule this one time."

Caroline gave me a slightly confused look as she pulled out the carefully tied ribbon. She gently tore away the wrapping paper and lifted off the lid of the box.

"A bracelet?" She asked as she lifted it up.

I nodded. "Yup."

It was a bracelet with five heart lockets. In the middle of each locket was an opal, Caroline's birthstone.

"Are these _real_ opals?" She asked as she inspected them properly.

I nodded again. "Yeah."

"Where'd you get the money for that?" She asked as she looked over.

I lifted a shoulder innocently. "Realize _now_ why I refused to give up my horrible job at Clayton's when we were sixteen?"

Caroline gasped. "But you _hated _it there! You sometimes came over to my house after work and cried because of how frustrated you got! You kept that stupid job-that I continuously told you to quit-for _me_?"

"I love you, Caroline," I told her honestly. "I'd do anything for you."

Caroline's eyes began brimming with tears as she began inspecting the bracelet again. Her expression changed from touched to confused. "Wait, do these _open_?" She asked as she touched the hearts.

"Yes," I answered. "Open them, see what's inside."

Caroline did as I said, and her eyes widened when she saw what was inside. The particular heart she opened contained a picture of me and her when were freshman in high school. It was one of my favourite pictures of us.

Caroline opened the rest of them to see more pictures. One was of Caroline, Elena, Bonnie and I, another was of Caroline and her father, another was Caroline and Stefan, and the last was of Caroline and her mother.

The last one she opened was of Caroline and her mom, and she ran her finger gently over the picture. I reached over and grasped her hand. "As long as you're wearing this bracelet, we're all with you, Caroline. Remember that."

"Jules, you're worrying me a little," She said. "What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath. "I compelled a doctor to tell me of your mother's situation, and...it's not good, Caroline. She has glioblastoma...which is a type of cancer." The words were practically stinging my tongue as I said them.

Caroline's face dropped greatly, and it looked like her heart had stopped. "That just doesn't make sense. My mom would have said something to me."

"Stefan and I were worried, so...I compelled a radiologist for information, like I said," I told her.

"Okay. So my mom has a brain tumor. Then we'll just give her vampire blood," Caroline said, surprisingly optimistic.

My blood turned cold in my veins as I remembered Stefan's words. "That's exactly what I suggested to Stefan...but he said that if vampires had known that their blood could cure cancer we'd have known by now. God knows we know just about everything supernatural."

"Fine. Then when are they gonna operate?" Caroline asked, determined to not let herself doubt or cry.

My heart broke for my best friend as I shook my head slightly. "That's just it. They're not able to."

I could sense the despair on Caroline's face as she kept pressing on and giving ideas. "Okay. Well, if they can't operate, then they'll give her chemo, right?"

Tears filled my eyes and I held them back as I shot down that suggestion as well. "Her tumor is growing fast. So fast that the doctors don't think that will have any effect on it."

"Well, then they're wrong because they don't know her. They don't know how strong she is," Caroline said firmly, but her face was betraying her. Her nose was twitching, and her forehead was starting to crinkle, Caroline Forbes' tell for when she was going to cry. "I mean, she's gonna get through this, Jules. Right?"

I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't want to tell her the truth, either. I wish I had enough hope that Liz was going to get through this. But my hope bank was slowly closing and in my heart of hearts, I knew there was nothing that could truly be done. "I'm sorry, Caroline," I said gently as Caroline began shaking. "I'm so, so, sorry."

She wasn't full on sobbing until I put my hand on her shoulder. Then, she immediately turned into my side and buried her head in my shoulder, grasping my arms tightly as she broke down. Her tears stained my sweater as I gently rubbed circles around Caroline's back. I knew there was no point in telling her everything was going to be okay. Caroline wouldn't have believed me, anyways. I just let her cry and cry and cry.

Tears of my own spilled out as I opened my eyes. I looked over Caroline's shoulder and saw Stefan and Ivan standing in the hallway. Judging by the look on Ivan's face, he knew. I looked over at Stefan, who's sombre face showed me that the deed had indeed been done.

I closed my eyes and brought Caroline closer to me.

Christmas was a time to be with your family, and Caroline could use all the family she had right now.

* * *

I wanted to stay at the hospital with Caroline, but she, Ivan, and Stefan managed to convince me to go home. Truth is, I didn't want to return to the place that had put me into a holly jolly mood just this morning, so I decided to head back to my room, pack a bag, and maybe bunk at Ivan's dorm for the night.

It was pretty late at night, and I was barely awake as I struggled with putting my key into my doorknob. I shook the sleep off as I finally managed to insert the key, and I turned it to let myself in.

Strangely, the door wouldn't open. I locked it again, took the key out, and tried again, but once again, it wouldn't budge. I tried forcibly opening the door, and when that didn't work, I threw myself against the door, trying to bust it down.

"Oops, that may be my fault," a voice I hadn't realized was beside me said. I gasped loudly as I turned around, unconsciously crushing myself to the door as I did so. When I saw who it was, I almost screamed.

I had finally come face to face with the person terrorizing our town. The person who _should_ be in the 1994 prison world instead of my best friend. And I only knew it was him based off of Elena's description.

Kai Parker.

"Too bad spells like 'alohomora' don't really work, right?" Kai said. "Trust me, I've tried."

"You," I whispered in fear.

Kai smirked at me and replied, "Me," mocking the fear in my voice. "It's great to finally meet you Juliet."

Before I could incantate any spell, Kai whacked me across the face with a blunt weapon. Darkness was all I saw as my body hit the ground. Before I was completely out, I could hear Kai say out loud, "Time for the fun to begin, Princess."

* * *

**TBC...**

**VERY emotional chapter! I love Caroline and Jules's friendship, it's one of my favourites.**

**Juliet and Kai interact for the very first time next chapter! Okay, only so he can experiment on her, but it'll still be entertaining!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Woke Up With a Monster...**_

**Juliet finds herself in trouble after Kai takes her captive to try out and control his new magical powers after absorbing them from the Traveler spell around Mystic Falls. In a desperate attempt to escape, Juliet triggers an unknown power within her that is more destructive than she could have possibly imagined.**


	33. Woke Up With a Monster

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I am burning through!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

My head hurt like a _bitch_. My forehead felt like someone had taken a knife and slashed across it. What was worse, I couldn't remember anything.

I tried lifting my hand to my forehead, but my hands wouldn't lift. Snapping my eyes open, I looked down to see that my hands had been tightly bound with rope. I tugged on them as hard as I could, but stupid human strength didn't give me my escape.

A voice shocked me, and I looked across the table that was in front of me to see Kai Parker at the end, and I instantly backed as far into my chair as I could.

"See, we never went out to dinner when I was a kid, so, I always had this fascination with chefs and fine dining," Kai started. "Dad actually let me cook... Taught me to measure by eye. Seasonings to taste, all that stuff, but it's different now in the restaurant world. Everything's on time. It's like, the fries go in, you push a button, it dings and you take 'em out. Literally no guess work."

I was looking all around me to see what was going on, and I was shocked to see I was in the Mystic Grill. Kai had driven me from Whitmore to _Mystic Falls_? I frantically shook in my seat, but I was tightly tied to it. Kai knew his knots. I guess being in 1994 for twenty years gave a man a lot of time. "What the hell am I doing here?" I demanded.

"Uh, well I spent eighteen years in abandoned restaurants and now I'm showing off the fruits of my labor," Kai answered as he dug into a plate of eggs in front of him.

"I don't mean the Mystic Grill, you dipshit," I growled.

"Oh, you mean like, here here, in Mystic Falls," Kai said, pointing at the ground. He "nervously" laughed. "Sorry, I'm nervous. You're like, really pretty, and this is the first time I'm meeting you. I want to make a good impression."

"Listen, not that I don't _love_ being tied up, and trust me, I _do_," I said as I squirmed in my seat. "But cut the crap, Kai. Why did you bring me here? Why am I here?"

"Well, I took the spell that was keeping supernaturals out of Mystic Falls and I, I like absorbed it...Like ate it, I guess," He explained as he took another bite. "It's cool, huh? First I eat magic, and then eventually, I lose it. But a huge spell like that? I mean, come on. Magic's oozing out of me, it's all over the place. You know, I didn't quite realize I was out of control until I met the manager of the Grill a few hours ago. And he was all like, 'Hey, you can't come in here; we're closed. And you have an unconscious girl over your shoulder.'"

I made a face that told him I was unimpressed. "Obviously it's the only way you can seem to _get_ a girl."

"Ha ha," Kai said humourlessly as he continued his story. "And then I was like, 'Don't judge me.' And then I gave him a heart-attack-tried to, but all I did was make him vomit uncontrollably, which was like, ugh, let's stop that."

"You _killed_ Mr. Barnes?" I asked horrifically. Mr. Barnes had been the owner of the Mystic Grill ever since I had my fifth birthday party here, and I was pretty sure he had owned it for a long time before that.

"Well, I _tried_ to. The second time I think I broke his spine. I mean, I'm not, I'm not really sure, because the third time I tried the spell, he kinda exploded in blood. Whoops." He raised his coffee cup to his lips.

I struggled against my ropes again. "What in the actual hell is _wrong_ with you? I mean, I know your family locked you away, but I didn't realize it was for a very good reason until now."

Kai made a face at my comment. "I just told you, I have too much magic. Please, keep up, Princess."

"_Don't_ call me 'Princess'," I spat.

He ignored me, of course. "You know what, Princess? It wasn't until after my test run with the manager that I realized, if I start to merge with Jo and my gushing fountains of magic turn her into that guy, then I'm not gonna have a twin for the merge. So, Juliet, that is why you are here." He took another bite, and I wanted to stab him in the throat with his own fork. "Because I need to get my magic under control. By practicing with you. Or rather, by practicing _on _you."

I looked at him, disgusted, as he continued on. "Oh, PS: Silver lining, after the manager finally stopped thrashing around, I finally managed a cloaking spell. Thank you. It's easy to do and...undo. Phasmatos oculix."

With the spell, the dead body of Mr. Barnes materialized in front of me on the table, and I shrieked as I tried getting away from him.

"Table for three," Kai said with a laugh. "You had no idea."

* * *

Kai managed to knock my out again, and this time when I woke up, I found myself standing up. My head was killing me even _worse_. There was a heavy weight in my arms, and I looked up to see my hands were bound to the ceiling.

I looked around me and finally figured out where I was.

"You brought me back to my _high school_?" I asked Kai incredously. He was standing by the display case that held trophies and pictures of our teams and student accomplishments. "If you're trying to get into my pants, taking me back to legitimately the worst four years of my life was the worst decision you could have made."

Kai shrugged slightly. "They have plenty of restrooms, no flammable surfaces, and everyone's on winter break...Still. You know, it's no wonder America got dumb while I was locked up; they're never in school." He squinted and pointed at a picture in the case and grinned. "Is that you?" He asked, and I knew he was looking at the picture of me with the art piece I had won a national award for. "You have a really nice smile. Oh, and there's Bonnie and Elena. You guys look so innocent. Smiling, like nothing bad could ever happen to you."

"Well, they do say ignorance is bliss," I groaned as I tried pulling on my restraints. How the hell did Kai get up there anyways?

Kai straightened and turned back to me. "Anyway, do you mind if I try to turn your blood into acid again?"

I shook my head in confusion. "What the hell do you mean, 'again'?"

Kai took off his jacket as he said, "Yeah, that's uh, that's kinda how you got here in the first place." He threw it to the ground as he said, "I was trying the whole acid-blood thing and I think I burst a few important capillaries in your brain, because you blacked out. It's a good thing I snagged some vampire blood from your sister's boyfriend while he was unconscious."

I tugged frantically as Kai walked over to me. "Kai, please, listen to me. Don't do this. What the hell is your fascination with me anyways?"

Kai shrugged a little. "I don't know. Like I said, you're pretty, and I haven't seen a pretty girl since the twenty years I was stuck in 1994. And I kind of admired the determination Damon and Elena had to keep me away from you, so I wanted to see what the big fuss was about." He gestured up and down to me. "I now see why they were right. You look amazing."

"Look, petty little 'compliments' aren't going to get me to like you," I snapped. "So just let me go before I'm forced to hurt you."

Kai's faced scrunched up in confusion before he clapped his hands and said, "Oh, right! You've got that whole 'most powerful Traveler in the world' thing going on there, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, and I can get pretty nasty. So, for the sake of your pretty little face, I'd let me go."

Kai shook his finger at me, making a 'tsk' sound. "I see _someone _makes a habit of not paying attention. Really, it amazes me how you managed to make the honour roll for all of your years in high school."

He began walking towards me, and I responded with walking backwards as far as I could, but the stupid ropes that he tied me with only went so far back. While I had no where to go, he kept walking towards me, until he was nearly nose to nose with me.

Okay, I'd admit it, he _was_ kind of hot, and it'd be a lie to say that the fact that someone so cute was standing so close to me wasn't one of the reasons my heart was beating super quickly. However, I didn't let myself forget the murderous part of Kai, and that quickly shut my heart up.

He suddenly grabbed my upper arm and a hot course of pain instantly began flooding my entire body, starting from my arm. I howled in pain as my knees buckled, and I began slowly dropping to the ground. I felt like a part of my body was being sucked right out of me and my body couldn't take it.

Just as suddenly, Kai let go of my arm and stepped backwards with his hands up. "I don't just absorb normal witch magic," He said.

I fought off the pain that was still in my body as I panted. I looked over at Kai, who had no remorse in his eyes. He just _stole_ some magic from me and he didn't care. This guy had no soul at all.

"Now, are we ready to try the acid thing again?" Kai asked. "Because I really think I'm going to get it this time. You know, 'shoot for the stars' and all that."

"Kai, no!" I pleaded, but he ignored me as he said, "_Phasmatos navaro pulsus sanguinox_."

Instantly, I felt the blood in my veins begin to get hot. At first it was a nice, warm heat, like the heat that emitted from a campfire. But that feeling was quickly replaced with an electrifying feeling, and not the good kind, either. My body kept getting hotter and hotter and more and more painful, like when I got the flu when I was younger. But the temperature kept rising and rising and a thick layer of sweat started forming all over my body. My knees buckled, and I would have fallen to the ground if my restraints hadn't suspended me from the ceiling.

"_Phasmatos navaro sanguinox_," Kai said again as I howled. An intense pain in my hand (it was even more painful than in the rest of my body) formed, and I looked over to see the skin on the back of my hand literally _sizzling_. "Kai, you're melting my _skin_. I'm gonna see _bone_ unless you don't _stop_."

But Kai kept going, and suddenly, I didn't feel pain anymore. Oh, no.

That's because I felt anger.

Anger at Kai for trying to freaking _kill_ me, anger at myself for letting Kai kidnap me, and more anger at Kai from taking magic from me.

Well, he didn't know who he was messing with.

Slowly, I fought against the pain in my legs as I stood up. With each step, I felt like I was bursting a vein in my legs, but I didn't let it stop me. My hair had long since fallen free of my bun, and it formed a crazy halo around my face.

What I did wasn't necessarily a _spell_. I didn't know _what_ it was. All I know was that I channelled all the anger at Kai and tuned into my magic. Slowly, the ground began shaking, as well as the lockers and display case. Kai looked a little confused, but didn't stop his spell, so I didn't stop mine, either.

The magic was like a build up in my body. Slowly, the pain was replaced with the tingly-lead feeling I got when I used a lot of very powerful magic all at once. The ground and the lockers down the hall were shaking very hard now, and the locker doors nearly came off its hinges. The wind blew very hard, and I could tell by the look on Kai's face that he knew he was in trouble now.

"Julie-" He just managed, before I burst.

_Literally_.

I let out a loud cry as the magic literally sprang off of my body in all different directions. The force of the magic was enough to blow Kai all the way down the hall, as well as rip the lockers from the walls. The debris from the lockers and the ceiling and the light fixtures from where Kai was began falling on top of him, and my only hope was that a large enough piece fell off and knocked him out.

I looked up to see the ceiling was crumbling as well, and the part of the ceiling that I was tied to came crashing to the ground. My arms were automatically lowered, and now that I could bring my hands together, I quickly tugged and pulled at the ropes. The light fixtures from above me came crashing down too, so I had to be careful where I stepped. I managed to take the ropes off and immediately took off.

I assessed my hand, and I all I could see was a lot of blood, charred skin, and a bit of white that I knew was bone. I cradled my hand to my chest as I ran for the nearest classroom. I was extremely woozy from using so much magic, so I had to keep myself from falling over and blink hard to get rid of the black spots that were dotting my eyes. I grabbed the doorknob, and to my relief, it was unlocked. I ran in, shut the door tightly behind me, and used a spell to lock it. I used my magic to lift some of the desks and chairs and barricaded the door so Kai couldn't get in. Of course, he could always use his magic, but at least it would hold him off long enough for me to crawl out the window.

I looked around me and realized I was in my eleventh grade biology classroom. That was the year I had Mrs. Coleman, and she was a serious germiphobe. Why she chose to teach biology I'd never know, but what I _did_ know was that she kept a first aid kit in her top drawer in her desk.

I unlocked the top door to her desk and to my relief, the kit was still there. It had been nearly four years since grade eleven and Mrs. Coleman had not changed a single bit.

I tore the box open and grabbed the little cotton pads that was in there. I bit my lip to keep from screaming out as I mopped up the blood around my wound. Once the area was clean, I could see _more_ bone, and I almost threw up. There'd be time later for that. Right now, I had to play doctor.

I had to keep my scream in again as I sprayed the disinfectant on it, put a clean cotton pad on the wound, and finally wrapped my hand up in gauze. I could barely move it, but at least I wouldn't be dripping blood anymore.

The door to the classroom suddenly blew open, and I instinctively held my arms up to block my face as I staggered backwards. The chairs and desks I had put up to block the door were strewn all over the place, and Kai strode in, with bruises and blood dripping down his face from his forehead and a split lip but still very much alive. And _pissed off_.

He wiped some blood off of his lower lip. "I have to say, that was pretty hot. And fierce, for someone wearing a Christmas sweater. It was something I didn't see coming, either," He said as he began walking towards me.

I walked backwards, but came to a stop when my back hit the wall. I looked around around me, looking for an escape route. The window was definitely not an option, it'd take too long. Besides, Kai would just grab my legs and pull me back. The front door to the classroom wouldn't work either, Kai was standing in front of it.

My eyes flickered over to where the door connecting Mrs. Coleman's biology room and Mr. Davis' chemistry room and realized it was my only hope. But how to get there without Kai hot on my heels to give me enough time to run away?

"Points for you, for throwing me off guard," Kai said, breaking me out of my escape plan. I was shocked to see that I must have zoned out long enough for Kai to be standing directly in front of me.

I gulped as I stared up at Kai. _Now_ how was I supposed to escape?

I barely knew self defence, but there _was_ a thing or two I knew about a boy's body.

Hit him right where it hurts, and it knocks him down.

"What do you say we try this again?" Kai asked as he held a hand up.

I gave him a hard glare as I said, "I'd say 'screw you'."

And with that, I reared my leg back, and kicked him in the balls.

And it worked, all right. He groaned in pain as he bent forward, the excruciating pain very obvious on his face. I reached behind me and my hands landed on a textbook. I grabbed it and whacked him on the back of the head with it. Kai went sprawling on to the ground.

I dropped the book and ran to the door to the chemistry room. I shut it and used magic to lock it before I took off again. I kept running until I could find one of the emergency phones in the school. I was panting hard by the time I could find one in the cafeteria. It killed my injured hand to do so, but I grabbed the phone and held it to my ear as I punched in Stefan's phone number.

My heart crumbled when it rang for a while before finally going to his voicemail. No...no! Kai could be here any second and no one even knew I was here with him!

The lights had began to flicker, and that only made my heart race even faster. Kai was definitely around and he definitely knew where I was.

Filled with despair, I quickly called the only number I could think of.

"Magic camp. How may I help you?" Damon's sarcastic voice said.

"Damon!" I whispered frantically. "I'm at the high school. Kai's kidnapped me and I need your help so please get here as soon as you can!"

"Whoa, wait. Jules?" Damon said worriedly.

More lights flickering scared me enough to hang up the phone. I ran for the nearest door and opened the door, looking behind me at the same time to make sure that Kai wasn't following me. Content that no one was behind me, I turned around to run though the door, but screamed when I came face to face with Kai.

I stumbled backwards, and I would have fallen backwards if I hadn't been able to catch my balance right before I could. The doors were swinging and the lights were flickering and the wind outside was blowing hard in response to Kai's uncontrollable magic. Trust me, I knew, I'd been there.

I was panicking, I could feel it. But I tried not to let it consume me as I stuck my hand out and said, "_Lihednat Dolchitni_."

Instantly, the spell took effect, and Kai started choking. It was a spell to keep air from flowing in the target, causing them to asphyxiate. His hands went to his throat, and he slowly started falling to the ground.

Kai's eyes darted around, and they landed on the tables and chairs in the cafeteria. Raising his hands, he gestured for the objects to move, and in response to his magic, they did.

They came sailing towards me, and I was forced to break my concentration on Kai as I darted out of the way of the flying furniture.

Now that he had control of his windpipe, he said, in a hoarse voice, "_Phesmatos superous em animi_."

Instantly, my body became filled with pain. I screamed as I grabbed the sides of my head. My knees buckled, and I fell forward. I felt a wet stickiness on my upper lip, and I knew my nose was bleeding.

_Fight. Fight. Don't you dare give up,_ I said to myself over and over again.

My magic was like a powerbar. When I used all of it, it needed to recharge. I had used a huge chunk of it when I freed myself from Kai, and Kai had also taken a part of it when he absorbed it. I only had so much left, so I had to utilize it well.

Gritting my teeth, I barely managed to look up at Kai and spit, "_Evas Elabuk Estupey_."

It instantly took effect on him, but it didn't stop him from using his magic on me. However, it lessened, and I managed to stand up again. I stopped the pain magic for a few seconds as I performed my final spell for a while, "_Zapálit_!"

Immediately, Kai's shirt was set on fire. He screamed and tried putting it out. I took this to my advantage and ran to the windows that were in the cafeteria. I grabbed at the windows and tried lifting them up.

Unfortunately, all I heard behind me was, "_Phasmatos Somnus_," from Kai, and I crashed to the ground, out like a light.

* * *

When I woke up again, I was tied to one of the tables that Kai tried to kill me with. I tugged on my hands, but, once again, they were tied up with rope.

"Where the hell are you getting all of this rope?" I growled as I squirmed.

Kai shrugged. "You don't kill people for as long as I have without covering the basics."

I looked over at Kai, who had changed his shirt because I ruined his old one and was drinking a soda. I looked up at his face and was grinned in triumph when I saw the injuries I had given him were still there: the large bruise on his cheek, the long cut on his forehead that was covered in dried blood, and the injured lip.

Kai noticed me staring at his injuries and said, "Thanks for those, by the way. I'm gonna be honest. From the way that Damon and Elena talked about you, about how you needed protecting, it made me think you were an easy target. Elena was my first thought, but then I thought, 'You know, Elena is a vampire. She'll be able to fight back pretty well'. Then I thought of little miss Juliet Gilbert, and I happened to stalk Whitmore campus until I found you.

"But oh, were they ever _wrong_. You are more than capable of taking care of yourself. It makes me wish that I had taken Elena instead. Where did you learn to do all of that, by the way?"

"I had a friend who told me I was a Traveler," I said, thinking back to Tessa. "And from there my family history just came tumbling out. After the death of my brother, all of the magic of Christos past came flooding into me. I was like how you are now: filled with magic you don't know how to control. Except I didn't experiment on _people_ with it. I _have_ a soul."

"Oh, is this going to be like an episode of 'Ricki Lake' where I come face-to-face with my demons and change for the better?" Kai asked sarcastically.

"Was there really _no one_ in the world that you care about?" I asked in confusion. Elena, Jeremy, and I had our ups and downs, but it was never anything extreme.

Kai, looking nostalgic, said, "I guess I liked my brother, Joey. We played Dr. Mario together and he'd always win. Actually, one of my favourite memories is when I finally beat him." Kai's expression remained unchanged as he said his next sentence, "Of course, my favourite memory is when I finally beat him to death."

I could only look at him in disgust.

"You don't have to waste your energy trying to change me. If Ricki taught me anything, it's that liking yourself is the most important thing. And I like me," He said.

I shook my head at him. "You know, I was always raised to believe that there was good in _everybody_. And even though everyone else lost that mindset, I kept it, because I thought it was true. I managed to find the good in Damon and Stefan Salvatore, my sister's crazy ass doppelganger, and the Original Hybrid Klaus Mikaelson. But thanks, Kai." I looked up and down at him, my opinion officially set in stone. "Thanks for proving me wrong."

Kai smirked as he tapped my shoulder. "No problem. What else am I here for?"

And with that, he got up at left. I immediately started struggling to get out of my ropes, but my poor wrists that had already suffered an intense case of rope burn and my poor hand that was _internally_ burned couldn't take it.

I huffed and leaned back against the table, trying to keep calm. It definitely didn't help that I hadn't eaten anything since those stupid gingerbread cookies yesterday afternoon. I was physically and mentally drained, and I didn't know how much more of a fight I had left in me.

After a few minutes, though, the grip on my hands loosened. Cautiously, I pulled on them and the ropes fell apart. I put my hands in front of me, and I had completely control over them again.

I felt a grip on my hand, though no one was in front me. Until suddenly, someone was.

"Oh, thank _God_," I breathed as I leaped forward and wrapped my arms around Damon's neck.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked as he hugged me back.

"More or less," I answered. "How did you get passed Kai?"

"Jo's invisibility spell," He answered as he pulled back. "If you can see us, that means you joined the party."

I looked over Damon's shoulder and saw Jo. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

Damon helped me stand up, but I was really uneasy on my feet. There was practically no energy left in me.

I put one arm over Damon's shoulder as he helped me walk.

Jo, however, seemed impatient. "Come on, meter's running on this spell."

"Wait, there are tunnels under the school," I said. "Kai doesn't know about them."

"Good idea," Damon said eagerly. "Boiler room. Stat. Come on."

We immediately started making our way to the boiler room, and the whole way, it seemed Jo was struggling with the spell. I looked over at her and saw her nose was bleeding. "Jo! You okay?"

She nodded, though it wasn't convincing. "Yeah. Three people is just a lot more to cloak than two."

Jo suddenly fell forward, and Damon grabbed her before she could fall to the ground. "Whoa. Why is your nose bleeding?"

"I have a guess," A new voice said, and we all turned to the end of the hall. Kai smirked as he said, "Magic's hard. Isn't it, Jo?"

"I'm so sorry," Jo cried as she wiped her tears.

"Don't sweat it. I want him to see me while I kick his ass. Now, get out of here, okay?" Damon said to her, and she staggered down the hallway.

I looked over at Damon, who was clearly going to enjoy kicking Kai's ass. Well, he would have to move over because _I_ was entitled to first dibs.

Damon looked over at me, but his expression changed to a look of panic. "Where Juliet?" He asked Kai.

"I'm right here?" I said, like it was a question.

"Oh, are we not cloaking people anymore?" Kai asked sarcastically, and I realized the danger I was in. Only Kai could see me. "I thought that's what this was."

"Kai, you sociopathic piece of crap, _uncloak me_!" I demanded.

Damon vamp sped over to Kai, but Kai cloaked himself and managed to run over so that he was beside me. He whistled, and tauntingly waved at Damon as he grinned.

I tried to make a run for it, but Kai suddenly used a spell that froze my body. No matter how hard I fought against it, I couldn't move. Damn, who was his magic teacher? I could have definitely used them.

Damon vamp sped over to a mop, grabbed it, broke it in half, and threw half of the piece at Kai.

Except...except it didn't go into _Kai_.

The handle of the mop speared into my abdomen. At first, I didn't register that I had been stabbed. I looked down at the wound and thought, "_Oh. There's a mop handle in my stomach. Okay_."

My hands shakily went to grip the mop handle, and I looked up at Damon to see if he had noticed that he had stabbed _me_, not Kai.

"That's gotta hurt," Kai clicked his tongue as he looked at me. "I am definitely getting the hang of this. Cloaking spells, illusions. You know, it's all the same wheelhouse."

Illusions. That's how he did it. He made _me_ look like _himself_, so Damon would stab me instead.

I looked up at Damon again, and his eyes were wide in shock and disbelief that he had stabbed _me_ instead.

That's when the pain finally kicked in.

I'd been stabbed in the stomach with a piece of wood before, and let me tell you, the second time was no better. Blood was slowly going up into my throat and the pain made me slide down against the locker. Of all the pain I'd been in today, this was definitely the worst.

Damon tried to come over to me, but Kai used his magic to inflict pain in Damon's head. Damon groaned as he fell on his knees to the ground. Kai eventually stopped and left Damon and I as he went after Jo.

I had fallen on the ground and was curled up into a ball by the time Damon had come over to me. My entire body felt cold, and I was shaking uncontrollably. I coughed, trying to get the blood out of my throat, but it just made it worse as blood dribbled out of my lips.

Damon gently grabbed me and turned me over. No matter how gentle he was, it still made my body feel like it was shattering. He assessed the damage, and his hands went to the base of the mop. "I'm gonna pull it out on the count of three, okay?"

I couldn't say anything, so I just nodded slightly. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth, preparing for the pain.

I screamed as loud as I could as Damon took it out. Once it was out, more blood immediately started pouring out of my wound. My hands instantly went to my stomach as I tried to stop the bleeding. Of course, the wound was too big, but I had to do _something_.

Damon bit into his wrist and held out his wrist to me, prompting me to drink and heal myself. I know, I didn't like drinking vampire blood, but it was either that or _die_.

So I grabbed Damon's wrist with my bloody hand and brought it down to my lips. I drank for a couple minutes (I needed a lot-I was injured really badly) and Damon brought his wrist away from my lips.

Instantly I felt myself starting to deal. Not just my stomach wound, but my hands and any other wounds Kai inflicted on me.

"You're okay," Damon said as he picked me up and cradled me to his chest. "You're going to be okay."

I closed my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep. After the shitty day I'd had, I deserved it.

* * *

Damon brought me back to the Salvatore house, where Elena and Ivan were waiting worriedly for me.

"Oh, thank God," Elena breathed as she and Ivan ran over to me.

Damon had to carry me because I was still too weak to walk, and he gently put me down so that my brother and my sister could hug me. Elena wrapped her arms around me, and Ivan wrapped his arms around the both of us. I relished in the feeling of my siblings' protectiveness. How could Kai have possibly killed his own?

"Are you okay?" Ivan asked.

"I've been tortured by Kai all day, what do you think?" I mumbled sarcastically.

They both pulled away from me but kept their hands on my arms. "You're covered in blood," Elena said.

I nodded numbly. "I know, this was my favourite ugly Christmas sweater too."

"Oh my God, I'll buy you a new one," Damon said as he walked past me.

Ivan rolled his eyes at him as he pulled me into his side. "You need to rest."

I nodded. He was right.

The front door suddenly opened, and in ran Stefan. His eyes were frantic with worry, and they instantly softened when he saw me. He ran right over to me and hugged me, practically squishing me to him and lifting me off of the ground. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there," Stefan breathed as he hugged me. "I was in Duke and by the time I got Elena's message..."

"It's okay," I told him as I snuggled real close into his arms. "As long as you're here now."

There, in Stefan's arms, I knew I was truly safe.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I really liked writing this chapter! The Jules and Kai showdown was awesome, don't you think?**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Prayer for the Dying...**_

**After the risk Caroline took with her mother, Liz is put into critical condition. Juliet tries to be there for her best friend as she goes through the hardest thing she will ever have to. With all the family and hospital drama, Juliet begins to reminisce about her own family, adoptive and biological.**


	34. Prayer For the Dying

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I am so on fire!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Caroline called me the next morning, and despite still being super tired from Kai kidnapping me the day before, I got up, changed out of my pajamas, and went over to Caroline's. I went because it had to be big. Caroline knew how much I loved my sleep and she knew I had to rest.

I got there shortly after Stefan and Ivan did, and the three of them were standing in Caroline's living room. There was a guy who was laying down on Caroline's couch and I scrunched my eyebrows at the scene. "Who's that?"

"His name's Colin," Caroline answered. "He's a cancer patient. I fed him my blood to see if his cancer would be healed, so I could try it on my mom." Caroline turned to Stefan. "I don't know what happened. H-he was fine when we left him at Duke, remember? He was running around and pain-free and scarfing down all that disgusting vending machine food."

"Yeah? Well, clearly, he's not fine now," Stefan said, and his expression changed to one of confusion.

"I thought you compelled him to forget everything after you fed him your blood. How did he find you?" Ivan asked.

"I don't know," Caroline answered, clearly panicking.

Stefan leaned over and assessed Colin. There was blood all over the front of his sweater. "What if this blood isn't even his? Is there any chance that your mom signed the house over to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe. She's been running around like crazy, saying she need to get her ducks in a row or..." Caroline started as Stefan went to the window.

Stefan opened the blinds, and the sun shined on Colin's face. Except instead of having no effect on him, his skin sizzled, like a vampire who didn't have a daylight ring's did.

"He's a vampire," Ivan deduced.

"Which means after you fed him your blood..." Stefan started.

"He died," Caroline said breathlessly.

"Well, at least we know that it doesn't work," I said. "So we can cross that off of the list of possible Liz curing options."

Caroline was barely holding back her tears as she turned to me and said, "I fed my mom my blood last night."

My stomach sank. I turned to look at Colin, my hand covering my mouth. "We need to get him to a hospital," was the only thing I could think to say.

"What?" Stefan asked.

I looked over at him. "We need to get him to a hospital. We can figure out our plan there. Once we figure out what and how long it took him to become a vampire."

* * *

Colin had one arm wrapped around my neck and one arm wrapped around Stefan's neck as we half-lead half-carried Colin into the Whitmore hospital. "We need help," Stefan said as Jo and Elena came over to help us.

We got Colin set up in a room, and in an observation room, Jo showed us x-rays of Colin's brain.

"I had Duke send over Colin's medical records. This head scan is from earlier this week," Jo said as she put up the first head scan on the glowy-white screen. She placed the second one on the screen and said, "This one was taken right here, ten minutes ago. See all that red?"

"Well, I'm no doctor but that guy is screwed," Damon, who we called over, said.

"So the blood didn't heal him, it sped up his cancer and killed him," Stefan deduced.

"So now, I have a stage 10 cancer patient. Which, by the way, doesn't exist. Who is beyond terminally ill and a vampire, meaning all of his emotions are heightened and he can't die," Jo informed us.

"Hey, no offence, but could someone tell me why I was called down here to listen to the story of Colin the Cancer Vamp?" Damon asked.

"Because Caroline fed me her blood last night," a new voice said, and we all looked over to see Liz and Caroline, who had walked into the room while Damon was talking. "So the same thing is gonna happen to me."

* * *

_"Dad, where do you keep the empty folders?" My fifteen year old self asked my Dad, who was sitting at the dining table going over some medical stuff._

_ "In my office," He said, barely looking up from his papers._

_ I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I know _that_. But where?"_

_ "In the slots above my desk," He said._

_ I turned around to go and find them, but my Mom's voice from the kitchen stopped me as I hit the first step. "Jules, after you get those folders, I want you to set the table."_

_ "But it's Elena's night," I fibbed, hoping to get out of it. I had a killer assignment that I needed to do, and I didn't want to waste time setting the table._

_ "No, it isn't," Mom argued. "I checked the schedule just in case you tried to weasel out of it."_

_ Damn that schedule! "You aren't cooking, are you?" I asked with a grimace._

_ "Knock that look off of your face and go get the folders so you can set the table," She ordered, walking back into the kitchen._

_ I sighed, knowing that dinner tonight wasn't going to be good. I should have known when I didn't see Dad cooking._

_ I walked into his office and began searching for the folders. I found them but as I pulled them out, a yellow envelope with my name written across from it fell out. _

_ Thinking that it was mail meant for me that Dad hadn't gotten around to giving me, I opened it. But what was written inside wasn't what I was thinking at all. It was a bunch of paperwork with my parents signature all over it, and my heart dropped when the first page said "Adoption of: Child's Name Unknown"._

_ I dropped the folders that were in my other hands. Adopted? But no, that wasn't possible. Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were my parents. They _were_._

_ Clutching the papers tight in my hand, I ran down the stairs._

_ "Juliet, how many times do I have to tell you to not-" Dad's voice started, but I interrupted him and held up the envelope._

_ "I'm adopted?" I asked in a shaking voice._

_ Dad's face immediately changed to one of shock, surprise, and horror, and I knew it was true. _

_ Mom walked over to me, the same look on her face. She snatched the envelope out of my hands. "Where did you get this?" She asked in a quiet voice._

_ "I found them in Dad's office when I was looking for the folders," I answered. "I thought maybe it was mail from my pen pal that Dad forgot to give me."_

_ Mom looked over at Dad, anger crossing her face. "I thought I told you to put these papers in the safety deposit box!"_

_ "I thought I did!" Dad defended himself as he stood up and walked over to us. "I must have forgotten to grab them when I made my last trip to the safety deposit box."_

_ "So it's true?" I asked, my lower lip wobbling. "I'm _adopted_?"_

_ "Oh, sit down, sweetie," Mom said as she put her arm around me, leading me over to the couch. I sat down, and Mom and Dad both sat on either side of me. "We were going to tell you when you were older."_

_ "But why was I adopted?" I asked. "What happened to my family? I mean, my _other_ family?" _

_ "Let us start from the beginning, okay?" Dad asked, and he continued when I nodded. "I got a job transfer, so your Mom and I moved to Atlanta. We were only there for two years, but then I was put on this case at the hospital of a two year old girl who's parents had died in a housefire. When I saw you, I don't know...I felt this weird pull. Like you were my daughter and always were. And when I found out that your parents had passed in the fire and you had no other family, well, it was too perfect. Your mother and I talked it over, and we made you a part of our family."_

_ "When I saw you, I couldn't believe how beautiful you were," Mom said as she began to tear up. "You were perfect, in every way. And like your Dad said, I felt this pull to you that made me your mother. I loved you. I loved you so, so much. And because we were gone for two years and you were two years old, we were able to pass you off as our biological daughter when we came back. No one asked questions after we told them we'd kept you a secret to be a surprise."_

_ "But I'm not your daughter?" I asked. _

_ "Oh honey, you _are_," Dad said as he wrapped his arm around me and kissed me on the forehead. "Blood doesn't make family. _Love_ does. And we love you more than anything in the world."_

_ I had began to tear up as well. "And...and I can still call you two...Mom and Dad?"_

_ Mom joined Dad and I to make a group hug as we all cried. "Of course you can, baby," Mom sobbed as we all hugged._

* * *

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up on the bench in the hospital. I had decided to close my eyes for a bit and nap to block out everything, but I was suddenly attacked with the memory of when I found out I was adopted. I rubbed my eyes as I shook off the feeling.I crossed my legs and the seat as I closed my eyes. I needed something else to occupy my time, so I decided to concentrate on my magic. Kai had done a number on me and I needed to stock up. And I was kind of hoping that something would happen magically like I was 'exploring myself' and I would know how to cure Liz. It was a good way to keep my mind off of the fact that I was in a hospital.

"What are you doing?" Ivan's voice interrupted.

I peeked up at him with one eye. He was taking off his coat and putting it on the seat next to me. It looked like he was ready to settle in. I closed my eye again. "Hoping that all the magic of the Christos Travelers in my body will magically tell me how to cure Liz."

I felt the bench shift next to me as Ivan sat down. "Hate to break it to you, but it doesn't work like that."

I sighed as I opened my eyes. "I figured. Did you check our family book?"

Ivan nodded. "Nothing about how to cure vampires. Except on how to cure them of their vampirism, which isn't Liz's problem."

"Where's Caroline?" I asked.

"Getting some coffee," He answered. Even though we'd only really been brother and sister for about a year, he knew me really well, and knew that something was wrong with me. "Hey. You okay?"

I shrugged slightly as I shook my head. "It's just...hospitals. Bad memories associated with them."

"_Like_?" Ivan pressed.

I wrapped my arms around me as I leaned back in my seat. "Like my parents...well, adoptive parents. Elena being in the hospital, Jenna being in the hospital, _me_ being in the hospital...and now we're here because Liz is dying."

Ivan shifted in his seat a little. "Listen...I'm really sorry about Miranda and Grayson. I've never really said it before, but sorry. They were your parents."

I nodded. "Yeah. What about you? Did you have parents when you grew up?"

Ivan shrugged slightly. "Sort of. Our coven really took care of each other. We couldn't stay in one spot for too long, so we had to move a lot, but we had each other. I was sort of raised by everybody."

"That sounds...different," I said. "Nice."

"Not as nice as you'd think," He answered. "I never had the love of parents. I knew my twin sister was out there, but I was never allowed to contact you because the coven wanted you to believe that I was dead so I wouldn't go back to your family and they lost their Christos Traveler blood bank. And after a while, I decided it would be best not to contact you at all. You had your family and a life of your own. I never contact you, but I checked in every now and then. You had a good life. You were _happy_. I didn't want to be the one who ruined that."

I sighed as I leaned my head on my brother's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here now, Ivan."

He wrapped his arm around me as he kissed my head. "I'm glad I am, too."

It was quiet for a minute before I asked, "Do you think they would have liked us?"

"Who?" He asked.

"Mom and Dad," I looked up at me. "And I mean _our_ Mom and Dad."

"Have you seen yourself lately?" Ivan asked as he rubbed my arm. "They'd be so proud of you."

I scoffed. "Proud of what? Their daughter sleeping with the Original Hybrid and killing people and not even know what she's doing with her life?"

He rolled his eyes at me as he said, "They'd be proud of how strong you are. All around you, your world's been tumbling down. Bad people have been entering your life, and through it all you've managed to stay who you are and keep your compassion. Compassion is something not everyone has, but something that everyone _needs_. And you inspire it in people."

I smiled as I leaned my head back on his shoulder. "I'm sure they'd be proud of you too."

"Why? I'm the one that's accomplished nothing," He said.

"Hey, you're studying to be a school teacher. You've got a great girlfriend who I'm sure they would have _loved_. You're doing great for someone who came back from the dead last June."

Ivan smiled. "You sure know how to cheer a brother up."

"You're easier to work with than Jeremy, I can tell you that much."

* * *

Caroline was kicking at the vending machine when I caught up to her.

"Whoa. What'd that vending machine do to you?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"The coffee machine's broken," She said. "Seriously, what kind of hospital is this? If you can't fix a coffee machine, then how are you supposed to be able to fix people?"

"Caroline, when was the last time you fed?" I asked. "You seem a little...on edge. I'm not saying I'm offering up a vein, but I'm sure you can compel a doctor to give you a blood bag or something."

Caroline sighed as she leaned against the vending machine, her body facing me. She started tinkering with the bracelet I had given her, and I knew for a fact she was playing with the heart that had a picture of her and Liz in it. "I screwed up. Big time. Why did I feed her that blood?"

"Because you were trying to save your mother," I said.

"No, I was trying to fix something that I had no business trying to fix. It's like textbook definition of control freak from Hell," She said as she leaned her head against the vending machine.

"Caroline, you are the most positive person that I _know_," I told her. "I should know, it's one of the things that I love about you. You just need to turn that positivity into the positivity that we can figure out a plan to save your mom, okay?"

There were sudden shouts of pain, and Caroline and I turned our heads in the direction of the sound.

"That's Colin's room," Caroline said. She looked over at me in worry, and I matched her look before the two of us instantly took off.

When we got into the room, Colin was stabbing himself in the chest with a metal bar. Caroline got in before I did, so she shut the door behind me as we turned to him.

"I can't die," Colin said as he pulled the bar from his chest and dropped it on the floor. "Why can't I die?"

"Hey, just take a breather," I soothed. "Just calm down. Everything is okay, everything's fine."

"It's _not _okay," Colin said, his face scrunching up in pain. "It's _not_ fine. I'm in agony. I can hear my tumors growing!"

"Okay, we'll try to help, but just please stop hurting yourself," Caroline pleaded.

Colin vamp sped over to Caroline and grabbed her arms. "You wanna help me? Help me die."

All of a sudden, Colin's back arched, and he dropped to the ground. Standing behind him was Damon, who was holding Colin's heart in his hand, meaning Colin was dead.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Caroline demanded.

"He made a wish, I granted it," Damon said as he cradled Colin's heart in his hand. "The blood transfusion didn't work. So you didn't just kill him, Blondie."

"_Damon_," I hissed in disbelief. "Don't you _dare_."

"No, it's fine," Caroline said as she sniffled. I looked over at her and saw her tears brimming her eyes. "You know, he's just saying what everyone else is thinking. I killed my mom." With that, she spun on her heel and left, slamming the door shut behind her.

I waited until she was gone. I turned to Damon and roughly shoved him. "What the hell is _wrong _with you?"

"What?" He asked as he dropped Colin's heart to the ground.

"Is that _really_ what she needed to hear right now?" I asked him in disbelief.

"I was just telling her the truth," He answered.

I shook my head at him. "No, _you're_ hurting because one of the _only people_ that _genuinely_ like you is dying and you don't want to deal with those feelings so you're being a jackass and turned that pain into anger that you're taking out on everyone else. So do Caroline and her mother a favour and go wait in a corner until you're done being a douchebag."

I didn't give Damon a chance to respond as I turned around and left the room. "Caroline?" I called out into the hallway. I looked around, but she was no where to be seen. "Caroline?" I tried again, and suddenly, I wasn't calling out for Caroline anymore.

* * *

_** Mystic Falls, May 23rd 2009...**_

_"Mom?! Dad?! Elena?!" I called out as I ran through the Mystic Falls hospital. I had to push past doctors and nurses and other people who were in the emergency room to get to the front desk. I was running a lot faster than my brother Jeremy, so I got to the desk before them._

_ I pushed the person who was there out of the way, ignoring their protests. "Miranda and Grayson Gilbert, where are they?" I asked, out of breath._

_ "Juliet!" I heard, and I looked over to see Sheriff Forbes, aka, my best friend Caroline's mother._

_ "Liz," I breathed as I ran over to her. She grabbed my arms when I got to her. "Where are they? Are they in a room, can I see them? Are Mom and Dad okay? I told them they shouldn't've let Elena go out tonight."I shrugged it off. "Whatever, I can be mad about that later. Where are they?"_

_ "Yeah, where are they?" Jeremy, who had finally caught up to me, asked._

_ Liz's face was broken, like she didn't know what to say, and I knew right away. She didn't have to say anything._

_ Tears filled my eyes as I shook my head, "No. No. No, no, no, no," I said over and over again. "Please, don't say it, Sheriff."_

_ "I'm so sorry," Liz said as she looked over at the three of us, and tears were flooding down our faces. _

_ I backed away from Liz and gravitated towards Jeremy. The two of us wrapped our arms around each other as we sobbed in our grief. _

_ My parents and younger sister were dead. I mean, I knew it was bad when the police refused to tell us what was wrong and to just get to the hospital, but I never, ever, thought of this._

_ "Elena's alive," Liz said, and we both looked up at her. "They think she must have crawled her way out of the car and they found her on shore. But she's alive."_

_ "Can we see her?" Jeremy asked. _

_ Liz nodded. "Again, I'm so, so sorry."_

* * *

"Juliet!" Stefan shouted.

I snapped out of whatever I was in, and I found my arms locked tightly in his grip and he was shaking me. Hot tears were streaming down my face and I hadn't even known. I looked around me and saw everyone in the area was staring at me, but they automatically looked away when I looked at them.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Stefan asked as he brushed my hair over my ear. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"What happened?" I asked, wiping my cheeks off.

"I just heard you screaming from down the hall. When I came over you were screaming and crying 'Mom' and 'Dad'," He answered.

"Oh my God," I said as I put my hand to my mouth. "There's something wrong with me, Stefan."

"No, there's nothing wrong with you," He automatically shot down.

"Yes, there is!" I protested. "I was just thinking about the night my parents died and I didn't even notice I was screaming."

"Hey, your best friend's mother-who you've always considered as a mother too-is dying," He soothed. "You're in a hospital, and it's bringing up memories of the night you lost your parents. There is _nothing _wrong with you."

I just covered my mouth with my hand again and leaned into Stefan's chest as I quietly sobbed. He wrapped his arms around me as he hugged me.

* * *

After I had a good cry, I was informed that Caroline was no where to be found, so we all split up to look for her. Ivan looked outside, Stefan looked around the upstairs level, and I checked the lobby. I walked into the flower shop of the hospital and sighed in relief when I found her.

Caroline looked up as she saw me approaching. "Good, you're here. I actually need a second opinion. I kind of like this because sunflowers are her favorite flower, but at the same time, I was also thinking maybe they're a little too over-the-top cheerful for a memorial service." She walked over to the roses, and I followed her. "So this was the second option, um, because roses are classic, right? I mean, especially in this shade of pink. Obviously, I would change out the vase, but-"

She noticed me not say anything. I was trying to think of something to say. Damon had just said something so horrible to her that she _agreed _with, and now she was calmly looking for flowers?

"If you're thinking of saying something to make me feel better, don't. I don't deserve to feel better," She said.

"I wasn't," I lied.

She gave me a look. "Please. Juliet Gilbert, I know you. You were thinking of something to say to make me feel better."

"That's because none of this is your fault," I told her. "Caroline, _listen_ to yourself. You're planning a funeral for a mother who isn't even _dead_ yet."

"Yeah, but all of this still needs to be done, right? She's not gonna want to live out the rest of her life as a vampire in excruciating pain. So I should do something that I'm good at, instead of making everything worse. Which arrangement?" She asked me.

I gave her a look. "Caroline, you did what you did because you love your mother. Hell, if it was my mother, I would have done it too. It didn't work. Yeah, you made your mom worse, Damon _did_ say what we were all thinking. But what are you gonna do? Give up?"

Caroline sighed as her lower lip threatened to wobble. "I don't-I don't know what to say to her."

"Sometimes there are no words that need to be said," I said. "Caroline, take it from someone who knows from experience. You never know when your last moment is going to _be_ your last moment, so you shouldn't waste the ones you have. The last thing that I said to my mother was an argument over the fact that she was cheating at Scrabble and 'Kelmer' wasn't a real word. And yeah, it breaks my heart when I think about it, but it makes me happy when I think that the last thing we talked about was something upbeat. Do you want the last thing your mother could possible think to be that you hate yourself?"

Caroline was on the verge of tears. "I can't. I can't even face her. What if she can't forgive me?"

I grabbed her arms and pulled her into a hug. "There is nothing to _forgive_, Caroline. Your mother loves you and just wants her only daughter to be by her side."

Caroline sniffled, but I felt her nod her head against my shoulder. I pulled back but kept my arm around her as the two of us left the flower shop.

* * *

Caroline chickened out the last minute, saying that she wanted to eat before she saw Liz. I walked into Liz's room to tell her the good news, but my heart stopped when I saw who was standing by her bed.

"Princess!" Kai greeted as he threw his hands up. "We meet again."

"What the hell is he doing here?" I bit out as I walked over to Damon and Elena, the only other two people in the room. "Have you two forgotten that he almost_ killed _me _just_ yesterday?"

"Hey, let's let bygones be bygones," Kai said as he held his hands up.

"Shut your mouth before I rip it off," I growled to him, and I turned to my friends to get an answer.

"Damon thinks that Kai can suck the magic of the vampire blood out of Liz's system to save her," Elena explained. "Look, I know he tried to kill you and I know that we can't trust him but we're doing this for _Liz_."

If it had been anyone else other than Liz, then I would have gladly pushed Kai out the window, but...

"Just get on with it," I said as I crossed my arms.

"Bygones?" Kai suggested as he held his hand out to me.

I eyed his hand before looking back up at him. "I'll be saying 'bye' to you when you're 'gone', if that's what you mean."

"Just do it, Kai!" Damon said as he got impatient.

Kai rolled his eyes at us, but put one hand on Liz's arm and the other on her cheek. He closed his eyes and began doing that weird magic sucking thing on Liz.

"Is it working?" Damon asked.

"I have no idea," Elena answered.

We heard footsteps behind us and turned around to see Jo walking in. She froze in horror when she spotted Kai. "What the hell is going on? What is he doing here?"

"Thank you! Someone who reacts the right way!" I said as I pointed at Jo.

"Hey, sis. Little busy. Be with you in a jiffy," Kai said to Jo, then turned back to Liz.

"Elena?" Jo asked.

"I'm gonna let Damon explain," She said, throwing the situation on to Damon's shoulders.

"Yeah," Damon said, and he and Jo left the room to talk.

"We're staying with you," Elena said, and I nodded firmly.

We watched as Kai continued to suck the magic from Liz. Speaking from experience, it was painful, but Liz wasn't letting it show.

"Stefan told me about...um..." Elena said, unsure of how to bring up my crying session earlier today.

"My mental breakdown?" I asked. "Figured he would."

"Are you okay?" She asked.

I shrugged a little. "I think so."

Kai's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he pulled his hands away, flexing them. "There. All done."

"Sheriff, hey. How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so," Liz answered, but suddenly, her expression contorted into one of pain and she looked like she couldn't catch her breath.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"I think she's having a heart-attack," Elena gasped.

"Oh, that is so tragic. You know, 'cause you guys jumped through hoops to get the magic out of her system, but then her ticker's just not strong enough to take a little siphoning," Kai said.

"Kai, fix this right now!" I said as I turned to face him, but to my horror, he had done his little disappearing act.

"Oh my God, what do we do?" I asked Elena.

She started doing compressions, and she turned to me as she did so, "Go find some help!"

I dashed out of the room. "Help! I need some help!" I grabbed the arm of a doctor. "Help me! Liz Forbes is having a heart attack!"

"How long has she been down?" the doctor asked when we got into Liz's room.

"What, you know mean like, been out of it?" I asked.

"I-I don't know," Elena said as the doctor started charging the shock pads. "Maybe I think it was a minute. It feels like an hour."

"Clear!" The doctor said, and Elena backed away from Liz and into my arms. We clutched at each other as the doctor shocked Liz.

"What's going on?" a new voice said, and we turned around to see Damon running in.

"LIz is having a heart attack," Elena said as she went over to Damon.

The doctor kept shocking Liz, but her heart machine was still flat lining. The doctor pulled the shock pads back and put them down.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" I asked her.

"Uh-uh. Hey, save her," Damon compelled the doctor. He picked up the shock pads and shoved them back at the doctor. ""Unless you want me to gouge your eyes out, I suggest you keep working. Here."

"I've done all that I can do. She's gone. I'm sorry," the doctor said.

Damon's face became angry as he compelled, "Get out of here. Forget you're a total failure."

The doctor left, and Damon threw down the shock pads angrily.

"No, no," Elena refused. She started doing compressions again. "I will not let this happen. Wake up!"

Damon went to Elena and put a hand on her back. "Hey, she's gone."

"What kind of mentality is that?" I asked. I went over to Elena. "Keep going."

Caroline walked in and her face dropped in horror when she saw what was happening. "No, no! Mom, mom!" Caroline cried as she pushed Elena out of the way and shook her mom. "Mom, mommy! No, mom, no. Don't leave me, please! Please, no. Please don't leave me, mom!"

I looked over and saw Stefan and Ivan walking in. I immediately went over to Stefan, while Ivan went over to Caroline.

"What happened?" He asked as I went into his arms.

"She had a heart attack," I said as I started quietly crying.

Ivan put his hands gently on Caroline's back, but Caroline just hugged her mom even harder and sobbed.

All of a sudden, Liz took a deep gasp in, and her eyes fluttered open as her heart monitor started beeping again.

We all sighed in relief as Caroline lifted her head back up. "Mom?" She sobbed.

"It's okay, baby, I'm right here," Liz said weakly.

"Mom," Caroline cried in relief as she put her head back on LIz's shoulder.

"Ohh, it's okay. I'm right here. I'm right here, baby. It's okay, it's okay," Liz kept saying.

I looked behind me to see Damon and Elena both leaving the room. I turned my attention back to Liz and Caroline. I sighed in relief as I laid my head on Stefan's shoulder. "She's going to be okay," I whispered.

"Yeah," He said. "Listen, why don't we give the two of them some privacy?"

I nodded and the two of us left Liz's hospital room. "Are you feeling better?" Stefan asked.

"Liz isn't dead and Caroline reconciled with her mother," I said as I put my arm through Stefan's. "Today was a good day."

"What are our options now?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know," I said. "We should just give them some space right now." I looked over at him. "Stefan? Thanks for being here. Especially earlier today."

"No problem," Stefan said as he hugged me to him.

* * *

**TBC...**

**These next couple episodes are going to be so good!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**The Day I Tried to Live...**_

**Plans are in full swing for the celebration of Bonnie's birthday, and Juliet is determined to find Bonnie the perfect birthday present. Stefan seems to think there is something more to finding the birthday present and tags along, causing a shift between the two to kick into gear. **


	35. The Day I Tried to Live

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Hello my dear readers!

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF RIPPLES OF REALITY! 1 Year ago today I started this story. I just wanna say this story would be no where without your kind words and suggestions and all around awesomeness. This one is for all of you guys!

PS. I Apologize for the shortness of this chapter as I have a tight schedule today but you'll thank me later! I needed this episode out of the way!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I crammed a cupcake into my mouth, determined to let the icing make me feel better.

Today was Bonnie's birthday, and Elena decided that we should celebrate because it was what Bonnie would have wanted.

I was pretty sure if I was dead and my friends held a party for me, I'd haunt their asses for the rest of eternity.

Still, I grinned and beared it for Elena's sake. And Caroline's, too. Ever since Liz almost died, Caroline's been on edge, ready to snap at any second. We hoped the party might calm her down a little.

"It's hard to tell if you're eating that cupcake or trying to _inhale_ it," A voice said, and I nearly dropped the cupcake as I spun around.

Stefan grinned as he walked over to me. "You've got a little something on your nose."

I knew I did. I could feel the icing on my nose. I brushed it off and licked my finger clean. "Don't judge," I said as I turned back to the cupcake. "Hopefully I can eat my feelings away."

"What do you think about this whole birthday party thing, anyways?" Stefan asked.

I shrugged. "It's something to make us feel better. There's cake, decorations..." My mind trailed off as I remembered one very important thing. "A present!"

"What?" Stefan asked, confused by my outburst.

I put my cupcake down as I ran over to grab my purse. "I didn't get Bonnie a birthday present!"

"You didn't get Bonnie...a birthday present?" Stefan repeated as he followed me out the front door.

I nodded. "I have to get her something. I don't know what, though. This might take a while. Tell Elena that I'll be back later."

"Well, how about I come with you?" Stefan suggested. "Two people thinking of a present is better than one person."

I considered it before nodding. "Sure, get in. I'm driving, though."

"What?" Stefan protested as he got into the front seat. "You drive like a little old lady."

"And you drive as if you're auditioning for Top Gear," I countered as I got into the driver's seat.

* * *

"How about this one?" I asked as I held up the dress.

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. Doesn't seem very _Bonnie_ to me."

I wrinkled my nose. "Yeah, you're right. She prefers purple over pink anyways." I put the dress back on the rack as I continued looking.

Stefan followed me as I shifted through some clothes. "Why don't I feel like clothes are special enough?" I asked as I sighed.

"Maybe because they're not," He suggested. "Maybe you don't want to get Bonnie clothes."

I looked over at him. "A book, maybe? A lot of books have come out since 1994. I'm sure she'd be eager to read something." I readjusted my purse strap over my shoulder as I began walking out of the store back into the mall to find the nearest book store. "Or maybe some jewelry? I don't know, Bonnie's always been hard to shop for."

We went to a book store, but I couldn't find any books that Bonnie might enjoy. We tried a video store, but Bonnie didn't have many favourite movies, and the ones that she did she already owned on DVD.

I walked into a jewelry store and began looking at the rings. Stefan was struggling to keep up with me, I could tell. "You know for someone with vampire speed, you're slow."

"And for someone with human speed, you're going pretty fast," Stefan said as he stopped next to me. "What's with the rush?"

"I don't want to miss Bonnie's party because I was so stupid as to forget a gift, okay?" I said to him as I turned to the display.

"Can I help you?" A friendly store clerk asked us (her name tag said "Amy"), and we both looked up.

"Yes, actually," I said. "We're looking for a ring."

"Oh, an engagement ring?" She asked perkily.

"What?" Stefan and I said at the same time. We looked between each other and gestured at each other. "Oh, we're not-"

"Oh, my mistake," Amy said with an apologetic smile. "What is the ring for?"

"It's my best friend's birthday," I explained. "And I wanted to get her something nice."

"All right then, right this way," Amy instructed, and Stefan and I followed her.

* * *

"I can't believe we spent almost an hour and a half in that store and you didn't even buy anything," Stefan said as I started driving to another outlet mall.

"Nothing felt right!" I argued.

"I thought you liked that amethyst ring?" Stefan asked.

"No, I said I was _considering_ that amethyst ring," I countered as I gripped the steering wheel. "Nothing felt right."

I could tell Stefan was getting fed up with me, but I didn't want to admit defeat. I had to do this for Bonnie.

"Where are we going?" Stefan asked. "I thought we were going back to the party."

"No, we're trying another outlet," I answered. "I still haven't gotten Bonnie anything."

"Oh, are you kidding?" Stefan asked. "Stop the car."

"What?" I asked as I looked over at him.

"You heard me. Stop the car," He said.

The outlet we were going to was pretty far, so we were pretty much in the middle of nowhere when I stopped the car. We both got out of the car, and Stefan and I walked over to each other.

"Why the hell did you make me stop the car?" I asked when we were in front of each other.

"I want you to look at yourself," Stefan said. "Really, properly, look at yourself."

I looked down at my clothes. "I think I look pretty cute, actually."

"That's not what I meant," Stefan explained as he crossed his arms. "Why are you buying Bonnie a present, Juliet?"

I stared at him blankly. "Because it's her birthday. And you're supposed to give presents on a birthday. How awful does it look if you show up to a birthday party and not even get the guest of honour a present?"

"Yeah, a birthday party for somebody who's _dead_," Stefan said bluntly, and the words physically stung me. "Jules, all day I let you drag me around to look for a birthday present for someone who isn't even going to be able to use it, and I want to know why."

"What do you mean, 'why'?" I asked.

"I mean, Bonnie's not alive," He said. "She's never going to use it, she's never going to see it, she's never going to know that it's there."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked him.

"I'm just telling you what you need to hear," He said. "There's more to this birthday thing."

"There isn't!" I insisted. "It's just a birthday present!"

"No, it isn't!" Stefan protested. "Because I know you, Juliet Gilbert. I know how you and your mind work. You may show compassion to everybody, but that's the only emotion you like showing. You bottle up your feelings because you don't want to burden anyone with them." Stefan took my hands, and I let him. He lifted them up and held them to his chest. "Let me share your burden."

At this point, tears were threatening my eyes, but I refused to cry. Not yet. "Never once. Never once have I forgotten to get Bonnie something for her birthday. Bonnie's always the one that thinks of everybody and doesn't let you do anything for her. But her birthday is the one day of the year that I _always _insist on being all about her. And all I can think about is how she sacrificed herself to bring back all of our friends and she isn't even here for me to celebrate with her!" _Now_ I was crying. "She died bringing back my brother and _you_. I can never thank her enough for that and now she isn't even here for me to do so!"

Stefan pulled me forward and hugged me tightly while I cried. "I thought that buying this birthday present would make up for it, but you're right. It won't, because Bonnie's _dead_. And every time we've tried to bring her back, we've always come to a bump. I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

"We'll do it," Stefan assured me as he pressed me to his side. "We'll get Bonnie back. We'll hold out."

* * *

I let Stefan drive on the way home. His focus was on the road, and I was grateful for that. Because then he couldn't see me stare at him.

I didn't know what it was, but the glow of the moonlight coming in from the window was shining brightly on Stefan's face, highlighting his facial features. I never really noticed before, but he was beautiful. Not just hot, but _beautiful_. His lips were soft, like a feather. His eyebrows were pretty full, but I always thought that that was cute, especially when he furrowed them when he was confused. His nose did this little thing where it twitched every now and then, and he didn't even notice. His nose was like a button that I could just tap over and over again.

My eyes travelled down, and I stared at his hands that were gripping the steering wheel. They were soft, but at the same time, rough from years of fighting and hard labour. The creases in his hands were my favourite to trace because it made me think of what he could have done with those hands in all the years he'd been alive.

"You're staring at me," Stefan said, breaking me out of my admiration of his body.

I cleared my throat. "I was not. I was looking out the window by your head."

"Uh huh, sure," Stefan said as he came to a stop in front of his house. It had gotten dark, but the glow of the moon was giving light. I walked over to his side.

"Hey, thanks for today," I said. "It was something I needed to hear."

"I'm sorry I was so harsh," Stefan said. "I could have figured out a way to say it nicer."

Heart thumping loudly, I leaned over and softly kissed Stefan on the cheek. "So I didn't get Bonnie a present this year. That's okay, right?"

Stefan smiled as he took my hand. We intertwined our fingers as we started walking up to the house. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll forgive you."

We walked into house and went over to the living room, where Caroline and Ivan were sitting in front of the lit fireplace. They were both having a drink, and Caroline was pretty much nestled against Ivan as she was sewing something. It looked like a stuffed animal.

"What's going on here?" I asked as I sat on one of the other sofas.

"Caroline is performing emergency surgery on Ms. Cuddles the first," Ivan joked, and Caroline playfully smacked him in the chest.

"It's a long story," Caroline said as she went back to work on stitching Bonnie's old bear's head back on to its body.

There, in the glow of the fire, with Caroline and Ivan sitting by me, and Stefan and I sitting next to each other still holding hands, I had hope.

And that was something we all needed, especially lately.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I'm so excited for this season! I think my story is the only thing that's keeping me pumped.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Stay...**_

**Juliet prepares to say goodbye to her baby brother as he decides to move on to the next chapter of his life. Afterwards, she, Stefan, Caroline, and Ivan prepare Bill Forbes' cabin for Caroline's mother to live out her final days. Stefan and Juliet realize the new shift between the two of them and are forced to confront it head on. Lastly, they all rush to the hospital when they learn that Caroline's mother has taken a turn for the worst.**


	36. Stay

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I KIND OF want to make a trailer for Ripples of Reality, but I'm definitely not talented enough. Maybe I shall attempt, maybe someone can attempt for me? *wink wink nudge nudge*

Can I just say that you guys are the best fans in the world? You got me past 400 reviews on the 1 year anniversary of this story! I love you guys so much! This chapter is for YOU! (It's been a long time coming, my friends).

Oh, and to the anon asking about Klaus? Don't worry. If all goes well with my plans for Season 7 Klaus will _definitely_ be making an appearance. All in good time.

Anyways!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"_You're_...going to art school," I started slowly.

Jeremy nodded. "Yup."

"You're...going to _art school_?" I repeated.

He nodded again. "Yup."

"With _what_ grades? No decent art school will accept you with your crappy record," I said. "You did drugs in freshman year, missed what has to be one hundred days, 'faked your death', got expelled, and I can't remember the last time I _didn't_ get a call from school saying that you missed class."

"Technically, Damon erased the principal's memory of me getting expelled," Jeremy pointed out.

"Which is also how we got him into art school," Elena said.

"So you lied?" I asked.

"More like we bent the truth," Elena responded.

Jeremy sighed as he stood up and walked over to me. "Juliet, I know that you hate lying, but please, this is what I need. I need to get away from here for _good_. It's my only chance to be happy. Don't you want that for me?"

I could feel myself tearing up as I smacked my baby brother in the chest. "Of _course_ that is what I want for you. I just hate that you decided to leave tonight."

"Why?" He asked.

"Caroline and Ivan are moving Caroline's mom to her Dad's cabin to live out her final days and they asked me to come help them move," I answered. I crossed my arms. "We're spending the first night to make sure that Liz is properly settled in, too."

"I'm sorry," Jeremy said. He held his arms out. "I'm gonna miss you, Jules."

I sniffled again as I leaned into Jeremy's arms. "I'm gonna miss you too, you dumbass," I cried as I hugged him, hard. "Make sure you call me every day, okay? If you don't, I'll hunt you down and rub your face into mud."

Jeremy laughed. "I'll take that to heart, Jules. I promise."

"Are you sure you have to leave tonight?" I asked as I opened one arm to allow Elena into our group hug.

Jeremy hugged the two of us to his chest as he nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry, Jules."

"It's okay," I said. "As long as this isn't the last Gilbert children group hug ever."

"It won't be," Elena said as she shook her head. "At least, not for a while."

I looked over at my siblings. "I love you two bitches," I said, giving them my love and joking at the same time.

It got a laugh from the both of them as we all hugged each other.

* * *

"If you really think about it, Jeremy leaving is for the best," Caroline said from the backseat of Stefan's car. I was in the front seat, and Ivan was sitting in the back with his girlfriend. "I'm sure everything around him reminds him of Bonnie, and you and Elena always wanted to protect him from vampire drama. Granted, he is going to art school, where the percentage rate for a well-paying job is one of the lowest in the country, but I really am happy for him."

"I am too," I said. "I never said I wasn't. But it's going to be weird, not having him around. He was around my whole life-except for that time where he was dead-but he was a constant in my life. I'll miss him."

Stefan came to a stop in front of Bill Forbes' cabin and the memories of the last time I was here came flooding back to me. We played an awkward game of 'Never Have I Ever', a dead Enzo tried to kill us, and I got kidnapped by Markos. I much preferred when Elena, Caroline, Bonnie and I would get in trouble for going for a midnight swim in the lake not too far from here.

"Hey, we don't need to talk about that right now," Ivan said as he came over to me and patted me on the shoulder. "I'll miss the little bugger too-even though I haven't known him long-but let's talk about happier things."

"Like the fact that Caroline packed so much stuff," Stefan, who was opening up the trunk of his car, said.

"The whole point of this is for my mom to live out the rest of her time here in a relaxed and peaceful environment surrounded by the things that she loves, like photo albums and board games," Caroline defended as she went over to the trunk to start unloading it.

Ivan picked up one of the boxes to carry and peered inside. "The anthology of Shakespeare,' volumes one through twelve."

"All the books that she's never gotten around to reading," Caroline explained as Ivan's phone started to ring.

"Oh Care, could you get that?" Ivan asked. He turned his hip to the side to allow Caroline room to reach in and grab his phone.

"Got it," She said as she checked the caller ID. "Um... Hmm. Why is my mom calling you?" She picked up. "Are you going behind my back for information?"

"Well, hello, _Ivan_," Liz said sarcastically. "What a lovely voice you have."

"Why are you calling him?" Caroline asked.

"You snuck out of the house this morning without so much as a hello. I may be a retired sheriff, but I am still a mother. What are you up to?" She asked

"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise," Caroline said, and Stefan, Ivan, and I got to work carrying the stuff into the cabin. Ivan held up a bag as Caroline mouthed, "Master bedroom."

"Do you think Caroline is handling this well?" Stefan asked as we dropped some stuff off in the living room.

"I'm sure she's trying her best," I said. "When Caroline loses control of a situation, she creates one where she has all control."

"That's a pretty good point, actually," Stefan said as we walked back to the car.

"How do you really feel about Jeremy leaving?" He asked as he handed me a couple of grocery bags.

"Honestly? I'm happy for him," I answered. "Like, this isn't the life I would have picked for myself. I can't run away from being the most powerful Traveler in the world and there are always gonna be people who want to use my blood, but Jeremy can run away from this life. Be happy. Find a pretty girl. That's all I've ever wanted for him."

"You're very selfless, you know that, right?" Stefan asked as I walked into the kitchen and began putting the food away.

"I just want people to be happy," I answered.

"And yourself?" Stefan asked.

"What _about_ me?" I asked as I put the milk into fridge.

"Are you happy?" He asked.

I felt the air around the two of us grow tighter as I clutched a can of pasta sauce in my hands. I chose my next words very carefully as a smile spread across my lips, "I am. Or at least, I've started to."

A smile grew on Stefan's face, and he was about to ask me a question when Ivan popped over. "Hey, Stefan? I need your help with something. Caroline thought that bringing every single one of Liz's DVDs and videos would be a good idea."

I had to hold in my laugh at the look on Stefan's face, but he turned around and followed my brother outside nonetheless. I shook my head and began stocking up the kitchen again.

Caroline pushed past them and came running over to me. "Hey! How are things going with Stefan?"

"Good," I answered absent mindedly as I looked over a bag of bread.

Caroline's face dropped. "_Good_? Just _good_? Come on, details! Details!"

I looked up at her. "Is bread refridgerated?"

Caroline groaned as she snatched the bag out of my hand. "_Seriously_. It's no secret that you two have gotten close again. I saw you two at the hospital, you two spent the day together on Bonnie's birthday and were _particularly_ cozy when you came back..."

"Why do you care so much?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Caroline sighed. She came over to me and took my hands. "Juliet, you know I see you as a sister instead of a best friend. I'm happy right now. The happiest I've ever been, despite the fact that my mom is dying. You know why?" I shook my head and she continued. "Because I have Ivan. He makes me...not sad anymore. In fact, he makes me so happy that sometimes I forget everything that's going on around me. I'm so grateful that I finally decided to man up and talk to him about my feelings. In my case, I didn't know if he felt the same so I was taking a huge risk and I just got lucky. But you? You _know_ that Stefan loves you. And you love _him_. What's holding you back?"

I opened my mouth to give her an answer but...I couldn't find one. "I don't know," I said. "Nothing, I guess." Since when was nothing holding me back from Stefan? I always thought for so long that I needed to hate him and not love him and that it was to protect my heart...but my heart was ready. It was my _brain_ that was still being cautious.

Caroline sighed again. "I just want you to be happy."

I leaned over and hugged her. "I will be. Thank you, Caroline."

* * *

I was sitting on a lawn chair that I had popped open on the porch as I admired Stefan working on some electrical thing in Bill's cabin. I was wearing sunglasses and had a book in my lap so it looked like I was reading, sipping on a lemonade, but I was actually watching Stefan. It was so mesmerizing, watching his muscles at work.

"You look pretty comfortable over there," He commented from the top of this ladder.

I laughed. "Just trying to work on my tan," I said as I stuck a bare leg out. I was wearing a jean jacket on top of a floral dress with a pair of sandals.

Caroline was looking for something in the garage, and Ivan was mowing the lawn. Caroline had said that her mother needed "nice lawn to look at so she doesn't forget what it looks like". We didn't want to say that that didn't make sense so Ivan just shut up and did as his girlfriend wanted.

Caroline squealed as she came over to the steps of the front porch, wheeling a small bike in her hands. "Look what I found in the garage!" She announced to us.

"Sweetie, if you're going to ride that, I think you need a helmet and kneepads," Ivan said as he went over to Caroline and wrapped his arm around her waist. After spending two whole days with them as an _actual_ couple, I couldn't help but feel...envious. Nothing big, just...all the casual touching they did. How Ivan's fingers played with the ends of Caroline's long blonde hair. How Caroline fiddled with the hem of Ivan's shirt when she had her arm wrapped around his waist. How the two of them just...naturally leaned into each other when they were around each other. I missed that sort of thing. I hadn't had it in almost a year.

"Ha ha!" She said sarcastically as she shoved him slightly. "This is the bike that I learned to ride on. I just didn't know my mom kept it. It used to have these training wheels on the back with lights that would flash every time you pedaled," She said as she pointed to where the training wheels used to be. "Then one day, my mom took them off and said it was time to be a big girl. You can imagine the princess-sized tantrum that followed."

"Lights _are_ pretty bad ass," Ivan said as he nudged Caroline with the side of his head. "I don't think anyone blames you."

Caroline smiled as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to her boyfriend's lips. "Thank you. Even though it was years ago. Where were you years ago to tell me _that_?"

Ivan seemed to notice how uncomfortable Stefan and I were becoming, because he turned to Caroline and said. "Hey, Care? Why don't I give you a ride on this thing?"

"What?" She asked as she wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"Well, you sit on the seat, and I'll push you around the driveway," He explained.

"That's stupid!" She laughed, but she seemed a little into the idea. "What if I fall off?"

"I promise I won't let you fall," Ivan said, putting both hands on her waist. He turned her around, and they wheeled the bike to the middle of the driveway where Caroline firmly planted herself on the seat of the bike, gripping onto the handles tightly. She squealed with laughter as Ivan grabbed the back of the seat and began pushing her around the driveway.

I tore my gaze away from the happy couple as I turned to Stefan. "What are you doing up there, anyways?"

"Oh, the box was loose, so I figured I would fix it," He answered as he began coming down the ladder. "Caroline could've had some serious problems... Exposed wires, electrical fires."

"That does not sound fun," I commented as Stefan dropped into the chair next to me.

"It certainly isn't," He said as he turned to watch Ivan and Caroline, who were having the time of their lives. Caroline was even holding her hands out to the side as she tipped her head back.

"I feel like we're a middle aged couple as we watch our children play on the grass," I commented.

Stefan wrinkled his eyebrows. "I don't know about you, but I find incest kind of _gross_."

I kicked him in the leg, but we were both smiling. "That's not what I meant, you doofus. I just meant that I haven't seen either of them so happy before."

"Yeah, we did a good job," Stefan said as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Doing what?" I asked.

"Raising them," He nodded over at them. "It was my discipline and your cooking that did it."

We both fell into laughter as we enjoyed the afternoon sun.

* * *

"Hey, so you brought an entire crate of these," Stefan said to Caroline, who was in her mother's room, once they had all gotten back inside the cabin. Fun time was over, and it was back to unpacking. Juliet and Ivan were sorting out DVDs and things in the living room. He held up a bottle of alcohol. "Any idea where I should store them?"

"There's a cellar under the stairs," Caroline said as she looked between two books.

"Hey," Stefan said, getting his best friend's attention. She looked up at him. "You okay?"

"Do you realize that whichever book my mom reaches for could be the last thing that she ever reads?" Caroline asked as she walked over to Stefan. "'Jane Eyre' is 600 pages. What if she doesn't finish, or, worse, what if she gets halfway through and then realizes that she hates it? What if she wastes her final precious moments on a terrible book?" She growled in frustration as she tossed the two books into the box of the rest of the books that was on the bed. "I just don't want to be held responsible for ruining her last literary experience."

"Caroline, let me deal with the books," Stefan offered.

Caroline shook her head. "No, no, I should do it."

"I have probably read every single one of these. I'm happy to take the responsibility," Stefan said as he put his hand on top of the box.

Caroline breathed out a sigh she had been holding in. "Jules is right, isn't she?"

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"I overheard the two of you talking earlier," She said. "I _do_ make a situation where I have all control when I lose the control of another, don't I?"

Stefan merely shrugged, unsure of how to answer. "I know that this is a really hard time for you. You're just trying to deal the way you know how."

Caroline nodded in agreement. She looked over at Stefan, determined to figure something out. "You love her, don't you?"

"What?" Stefan asked, a little baffled at the sudden turn of the discussion.

"You love Juliet, don't you?" She repeated.

"Of course I do," Stefan said without hesitation. "I'm just giving her the space that she asked for."

Caroline shook her head at Stefan. "Stefan, trust me. I've known Juliet my whole life. She's ready. To be honest, she's just waiting for you to take the first step, because she's too scared to do it herself."

Stefan looked over at the door to make sure it was shut. _Thank God Jules doesn't have vampire hearing_, Stefan thought to himself as he asked, "You really think so?"

Caroline only smirked as she grabbed the bottle of alcohol from Stefan's hands. "I'm opening this," She announced as she began walking out of the room.

"Thought that was for your mom," Stefan called after her.

"Oh, it was," Caroline called behind her. Her work between her two best friends were done. She earned herself a drink.

* * *

The sun setting was too beautiful of a sight to miss out on, so once we were done unpacking, I sat back down in one of the lawn chairs and watched the sun starting to set. Jeremy was the artist in our family, and in that moment I really wished that I could draw that sunset because of how amazing it was. I settled for taking a picture on my phone.

The door to the cabin opened, and Stefan walked out. "Hey," He said as he dropped into the seat next to me. "What are you doing?"

"Just admiring the view," I answered as I looked back over at the sun. "I hope that all the sunsets are as beautiful as this one. Then I don't mind missing a few days of school as we help Liz settle in."

Stefan nodded as he fiddled with his fingers. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was conflicted over it. He had finally opened his mouth when the door opened again, and Caroline and Ivan came out, hand in hand.

"They're running a little late," Caroline explained. Damon was supposed to drive Liz down to the cabin after she finished up at the station. "Apparently, my mom chose today to tackle an entire career worth of cold cases."

"Maybe we should get started on dinner," I suggested. "So we have it ready when she comes."

"Oh, actually, there's this great Italian place my mom loves just up ahead from here," Caroline said. "Ivan and I were about to go get something from there."

"Okay, we'll take my car," Stefan said as he began to stand up.

"Oh, no!" Caroline said quickly as she thrusted her hand out towards Stefan. "It's such a nice day, Ivan and I decided to walk over there. By ourselves." She cleared her throat as her eyes darted between the two of us. I gave her a hard glare at failing to hide her obliviousness. She ignored it as she wrapped her other hand around Ivan's arm. "We're gonna go. You two can figure out a way to entertain yourselves, can't you?"

They didn't wait for an answer as they began walking away. And by walking, I meant running. I buried my face into my hand at Caroline.

"What was that?" Stefan asked when the two of them were out of sight.

"Their very obvious attempt at giving us some privacy," I grumbled as I stood up to walk over to him. "Probably to talk."

"Is there something that we need to talk about?" Stefan asked.

_Ivan makes me happy. I want to see you happy, too. What's holding you back_? Caroline's voice echoed in my head. The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them, "Actually yes, there is."

"Okay," Stefan said, waiting.

I took a deep breath. Here goes everything. "For almost two and a half years, I had to suffer in silence because you and my sister were together. Elena had things so much worse than me that I felt bad and let her have you. I quickly realized it was the worst mistake I had ever made because of how wonderful you are. I was head over heels. When you two broke up, I still kept my distance because I didn't want to overwhelm you. But when we finally started going out, everything felt right. Nine months ago, I was so in love with you. You were everything to me. We were in the perfect relationship. And then your brother died and you shut everyone out. I wanted to say something, to go after you, but I convinced myself that you needed the time to yourself. When it became clear that you didn't...I hated you. I hated you with every inch of my soul that it was weird knowing that someone like me can hate someone to that degree. But then stupid you had to come back. I don't know how you did it, but you managed to weasel your way back into my heart. I resisted it the best I could, but there's something in my that won't let me not love you, Stefan Salvatore. Maybe it was the fact that you were my first _real_ love, or that I hadn't been with someone for so long before and I missed it, I don't know. But what I do know, right now, is that I'm finished. I'm finished with acting like I'm not in love with you when in reality, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You pick me up when I'm down, you make me appreciate the little things in life and you taught me that life is so much more than what we make it." With shaking hands, I reached up and lightly touched Stefan on his chest. "I'm tired of fighting it." I brought my hand back down, balling them into fists at my side. "Aren't you?"

Stefan said nothing as he took in what I told him and I held my breath, hoping he didn't reject me. I couldn't handle that…not again. After a couple minutes of nervous waiting, he finally responded…but not with words.

He stepped forward quickly, grabbing my face and kissing me with all that he had. It was a soft but heated kiss, one that I couldn't help but return, cupping his face and pushing my lips closer against his.

After a couple minutes of kissing, Stefan pulled away from me and pushe d his forehead against mine. My eyes were closed and I had no doubt that there was breathless look on my face. I opened my eyes after a few minutes and stared into Stefan's soft green eyes. Then I smiled and he smiled back.

"I love you, Jules." He whispered, brushing his thumbs down my jaw.

My eyes filled with tears. "I love you too, Stefan…"

His smile turned into a full out grin as he leaned in and I met him half-way, kissing him back, putting all the love that I felt for him into it.

Soon, it became heated again.

Stefan's hands slid down to the middle of my back and pushed against it gently so that my body was flushed against his. I moaned in response as I let my hands rest of his strong shoulders before smoothing them down his chest and I felt rumble at my touch, causing me to giggle to myself.

It was then that I felt Stefan's tongue brush against my bottom lip, wanting entrance into my mouth and I gave it to him. It was easy as breathing. When his tongue touched mine, I gasped in response at the sparks that flew between us, our lips were perfectly molding together in a way that was as easy as breathing.

Then his tongue slid along mine for a couple minutes before taking them together. It made me moan happily into his mouth as our tongues started a passionate dance, which left me breathless. My fingers went into his shirt as I moaned again, pushing my body even closer to his.

In the process, my hips brushed against his and his hands on my back tightened, making me gasp a little. But my gasp grew a little louder when I felt his need pressing against my inner thigh. He wanted me and he told me so as he pulled back from the kiss.

"I want you, Jules." He said my name breathless and I shivered in response to his words. One of his hands lifted up, only to take my hair out of the bun it sported and it fanned around my face like a halo. "Beautiful…absolutely beautiful…" I blushed a little at his sweet words. Then he kissed me again and he whispered against my lips. "Do you want me?"

I didn't even have to think about that, so my response was quick. "Yes."

With that, he pulled my face close to his again and kissed me once more. This time, it only lasted for a couple minutes because then he broke the kiss and grabbed my hand, leading me to the nearest bedroom.

Though I had lost my virginity already and been through this, it was different. This was Stefan Salvatore, the only love of my life. Was making love to him going to live up to my expectations? I sure hoped so.

Entering the room, Stefan stopped and let go of my hand, turning towards me and slowly heading in my direction. When he made it to me, my hands immediately went to the end of his shirt and started to pull it up his waist slowly. When it was off, my eyes roamed his upper body, almost hungrily. God, he was so gorgeous and he was all mine. My hands then reached down to start on his jeans. But before I could reach them, Stefan grabbed my hands and lifted them up, resting them on his chest for a moment.

"Not yet…" he told me and I groaned a little, making him chuckle. Luckily my disappointment did last as he pulled me into another kiss and I easily fell into it. As he kissed me, his hands slipped up the back of my dress, feeling the bare skin of my back.

His fingers were a little cold, but my body was so ignited with heat I barely noticed it at all. He felt my bare back for a little bit longer before disappearing only to grip the bottom of my dress and he tugged it up.

I let him and seconds later, the dress was thrown on the floor with his shirt. Again, the kiss broke, so Stefan could look over my nearly naked body. All that needed to come off was the matching bra and panties set that I was wearing. Now I was glad that Caroline told me to pack this. The look on his face at seeing me in it was worth it.

"Where did you get that?" Stefan asked, his dark (when did that happen?) eyes meeting mine.

"Caroline bought for me…told me to pack it…" I answered. Then I stared at him shyly. "Do you like it?"

"I love it…remind me to thank Caroline later."

I laughed at this. "You got it." I changed the subject, smiling at him in what I hoped was a seductive way. "I think you have too many clothes on." Not letting him respond, I stepped forward and took his jeans off, sliding them down his slim hips. They pooled at his feet so he kicked them off.

As he did this, I went over to the door and closed it, locking it so we wouldn't be disturbed.

Stefan was already to me when I turned around and he scooped me up in his arms, causing my legs to wrap around his naked waist. Then he kissed me heatedly and I retuned the kiss, while he carried me to bed.

This would begin a new chapter of our lives, but I couldn't wait for Stefan and I to start our new lives…together.

* * *

I leaned my head against Stefan's naked chest. I could feel his breath tickling the top hairs of my head, but I didn't want to move. I was perfectly content were I was.

Stefan was running his fingers up and down my bare arm and it felt like little butterflies were dancing along my arm. He had his arms wrapped around me and was hugging me to his chest. I had no issue with this. My body hurt all over (it had been a _long_ time since I had sex) but I barely noticed it in lieu of whose arms I was in.

Oh my God. How to describe _Stefan_? It was passionate, heated, gentle, rough, and crazy all rolled into one. I didn't think that making love could feel like this, but it turned out it could.

"I can't believe we've never done that before," I breathed.

"Me either," Stefan agreed.

"Why haven't we, again?" I asked.

"Beats the hell out of me," He said.

It was silent for a little while after. I think it was mainly silent because neither of us knew what to say. We'd finally had sex, even though we technically weren't together.

"You can sleep, if you want," Stefan's soft voice said.

I gently shook my head. "I'm okay." I didn't want Ivan and Caroline-or maybe Liz-to come back home and find Stefan and I in bed naked. I snuggled closer to Stefan's chest.

"Where does this leave us?" He asked.

I looked up at him. From the angle I was at, I had the perfect view of Stefan's face. His chiseled jaw was just barely touching my nose when I looked up at him. "I don't know," I said, though I really did. I didn't want to get into anything that would make everything wrong when something so right had just happened. I pushed myself forward slightly to kiss him.

We kissed for a couple minutes before Stefan pulled away to take a breather. He caressed my jaw as I touched his lips gently with one of my fingers. "Well, if _this_ is you not knowing," Stefan said, gesturing to the position that the two of us were in. "Then I'd rather you not know for a long time."

That rose a laugh out of the both of us, and we met halfway for another kiss. We kept kissing, and eventually Stefan started kissing along my jaw and down my neck. I couldn't help the giggle that rose out of my chest as I felt Stefan's kisses.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing. I groaned as I looked over at it.

"Just ignore it," Stefan said as his hands went to my face and he turned me back to him, kissing me again. My phone stopped ringing, but then it started ringing again. I broke away from Stefan and looked back over at the phone.

"Jules," Stefan mumbled as he trailed kissing on my neck.

"What if it's something important?" I asked. Stefan stopped and looked up at me. He sighed, realizing I wasn't giving up and rolled off of me.

Holding the sheet to my chest, I reached down for my jacket. I fished my phone out of the pocket and saw that it was Caroline calling me. "Caroline?" I asked. What was it that she wanted to talk about that couldn't wait until she got back?

"Jules!" She sobbed, and I instantly sat up.

"What's wrong?" I asked. _No, not now. Please, not now._

"It's my mom," Caroline hiccuped.

"Is...is she..." I could barely get the words out.

"No, but she's unconscious. Damon called and said that he couldn't wake her up. Ivan and I are taking a cab to the hospital," Caroline said in between sobs.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," I promised, and we both hung up. I held my phone to my chest.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked as he sat up and put a hand at my back.

I looked over at him. "It's Liz. She's in the hospital."

Stefan instantly understood, and the two of us threw the blanket off of us as we scrambled to get dressed. I felt myself shaking as I struggled with putting my bra on. I was able to get my dress on without a problem, and I was practically running out the door of the guest room as I pulled my jacket on. "Stefan, hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" He said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He unlocked his car before we got to it, so we easily slid inside as Stefan shoved his key into the ignition.

"Come _on_," Stefan growled as his car roared to life. He threw it into drive, and we were off.

Our hands managed to find each other, and we held on tightly. I could feel the tears building up as I shook my head. "It's not her time, Stefan. She can't leave, not now."

Without a word, Stefan brought my hand to his lips as he pressed a kiss on the back of it. Stefan wouldn't make up false hope to me, so I knew this was his way of telling me that we wouldn't be given a miracle.

* * *

We got to the hospital the same time as Ivan and Caroline. Caroline was at the receptionist's desk, and I heard her ask, "Where is she? Elizabeth Forbes, what room's she in?"

"Caroline!" I said as I ran over to her.

"Jules!" She cried as I immediately wrapped her up into a hug.

"Caroline," a quiet voice said, and we pulled away to turn to see Damon.

"Damon," Caroline breathed as she walked over to him. "She fell asleep," Damon explained. "I couldn't wake her up. They said she slipped into a coma. They said they can make her comfortable."

As Damon was talking, Caroline began making her way to Liz's room. "She's not comfortable, she's _dying_!" Caroline protested as she ran in. Ivan, Stefan, and I got there a couple seconds after she did, and I felt my breath hitch as I stared at an unconscious Liz. Her body was so still, as if she was already dead and the thought made my body run cold.

"I didn't get to say good-bye," Caroline realized as her eyes began swimming with tears. Ivan went over to her and put one arm around her, hugging her to his chest. "I didn't get to say good-bye to my mom."

* * *

"I should have been with her," Caroline said as she held onto Liz's hand at her bedside.

"You didn't know," Ivan said, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"But I knew she was sick, and I knew it was bad," Caroline retorted. The thing about Caroline was that she needed to feel angry at herself instead of sad, because if she felt sad, she'd break down and wouldn't be able to bring herself back together again.

"Caroline..." I tried.

"I'm her daughter, Jules, okay?" Caroline spat. "I was supposed to give her peace and convince her that I would be okay and thank her for being an amazing mom. God, I don't ever remember the last thing that I said to her. I was supposed to be with her in her final moment."

"You still can," Stefan pointed out. "Try to clear your mind," He instructed.

"Okay," Caroline said, squeezing Liz's hand tightly.

"Think about your favorite memory of your mom," Stefan went on.

"I don't know. There's too many," Caroline said as she began getting worked up.

"It's okay, it's okay," Stefan soothed. "Just relax. Close your eyes. Open up your mind. We're gonna live in her memories."

"We can do that?" Caroline asked, and Stefan nodded in response.

Caroline kept her eyes closed as she furrowed her eyebrows, a sign that she was thinking deeply of the last memory she'd ever give her mother.

I went over to Stefan, who wrapped his arm around me as I leaned into his chest. "What can you see?" I whispered to him.

"Caroline is showing her mother the memory of Liz teaching Caroline how to ride a bike without training wheels," He whispered back.

I shut my eyes tightly, willing my tears to stay back. I could still see Ivan pushing Caroline on that bike, having the time of her life.

"It's working," Stefan whispered as Elena, Damon, and Matt walked in.

I looked over at Matt, and we both nodded at each other as we stayed where we were. Elena leaned into Damon, and I put my own arm around Stefan as we pressed ourselves closer to each other.

"Mom..." Caroline said slowly, and I looked over at the heart machine to see the zig zags that showed Liz's heart rate turn into a flat line. "Mom?" Caroline tried again, but the only response was the sound of the flatline, signifying that Elizabeth Forbes was finally gone.

Caroline let out a choked sob as she turned to address us. "She's gone," She sobbed. She turned back to Liz and cried her heart out. "Mom!" She bawled as Ivan wrapped his arm around her back, hugging her to him, and she leaned into his side.

I leaned into Stefan as I let my tears finally fall, soaking his shirt. Lifting my shaking hand, I forced myself to bring it over to the heart rate machine, and I turned it off, silencing it-and Elizabeth Forbes-forever.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Man, that was really sad.**

**This chapter had so much going on, and I really hope that the Jefan scene was everything that you'd hope it to be! **

**However, I can't take the credit for writing that scene, as I am a potato when it comes to writing scenes like those. My best friend, The Doctor's Charlene, wrote that scene, and I am so thankful to her, as everyone else should be!**

**The next chapter will hopefully follow soon!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Let Her Go...**_

**Juliet isn't entirely sure that Caroline's dealing with her new situation as well as she is letting on. Juliet and Stefan attempt to figure out a way to deal with the state of their relationship in the aftermath of their actions in the previous episode. Caroline's behaviour takes a turn for the scary as she makes a decision no one saw coming.**


	37. Let Her Go

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Trying to hurry up with the next couple of episodes to get caught up! It's going to be AU for the next few chapters (obviously) just as a heads up!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

We all spent the night in the boarding house. Stefan, Ivan, Elena, Tyler, Matt, Caroline, and I all set up beds in the living room and slept there. It was still dark when I woke up. I didn't want to open my eyes because if I opened my eyes, that meant I'd be _awake_ awake and that meant that I'd have to deal with the reality of Liz's death.

Maybe if I just lay here, the world would either stop turning or go back in time.

I was laying down next to Ivan on the floor. When I finally did open my eyes, they fell on the spot where Caroline was. She was probably just getting a drink of water or took a trip to the bathroom. I tucked my hands underneath my head as my eyes traveled over to where Stefan was sleeping in a chair next to the couch where Elena was sleeping.

I didn't regret what we did, but I felt horrible about the timing. I couldn't _believe_ that while Liz was dying, we were having sex. It made me think of when my own parents were dying, Jeremy and I were laughing over the movie _Zombieland_.

"You know, if you stare at him hard enough, you'll burn a hole in his head," Ivan whispered, and I felt myself jolt in place.

I didn't take my eyes off of Stefan as I said, "I did a weird thing. And I don't really wanna discuss it with my brother."

"Okay," Ivan said. "Caroline's going to make a list of things for all of us to do. She told me. She's been acting really weird. She's cried a lot but before we went to bed she was fine."

"She's trying to be strong," I whispered. "For everybody else, especially."

"I know," Ivan said. "Anyways, go back to sleep. You'll need as much rest as you can get."

* * *

I don't say this all that often and I'd deny it if you ever told him, but Ivan was right.

"You've all asked what you can do to help," Caroline said as Ivan, Stefan, Elena, Matt, Tyler and I all sat in front of her in the living room when we all had finally woken up and gotten ready.

"There are five day's worth of projects on here. We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through the red tape. I expect my mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day," Caroline said.

"Sure, Care. Whatever you need," Matt offered, and we all nodded in agreement.

"Elena, Juliet, you two are coming with me," Caroline instructed.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked.

"Casket shopping. Let's move!" Caroline said as she turned around and began walking out the front door. Elena and I scrambled to catch up with her.

"You drive. I sent my car to Jeremy," Elena said to Caroline.

"My car's in the shop," I told Caroline.

"Jeremy!" Caroline gasped as she covered her cheeks. "I forgot to put him on my list of people to call."

"It's okay. I called him," Elena told her.

That was a sad phone call. Elena, Ivan, and I cried with Jeremy over the phone as we mourned Liz.

But we didn't get to be sad right now. We had work to do.

* * *

Outside of Archer and Son's Funeral Home, Ms. McGruder was expressing her condolences to Caroline about Liz...but not in a really good way.

"Your mother was such a vibrant woman. Even after your father ran off with that man," Ms. McGruder said.

Elena and I looked over at each other. Time to get Caroline out of that situation. We ran over to Caroline and both wrapped one arm around Caroline. "Thank you, Ms. McGruder. I'm sure we'll see you at the funeral," Elena said as we began leading her away from Ms. McGruder.

"Well, welcome to the world of awkward sympathies," Elena said to Caroline.

I couldn't help but think back to Stefan. I hadn't seen him since I had woken up, and even then, we barely spoke to each other. I didn't exactly make the effort to avoid him, but was he making the effort to avoid me?

"That's why you have to be prepared with your responses. I recommend at least three," Elena went on.

"I don't know how you survived this," Caroline mumbled.

Had he regretted what we'd done? Did he want to take it back? Did he not want it to happen again?

"Your responses will be different for each category of people in your life: friends of circumstance, casual acquaintances, loved ones," Elena said.

"Friends of circumstance, you say 'thank you so much' and move on," I said. "Casual acquaintances, you say 'thank you so much' and a casual comment about your mother, and loved ones, you're free to say whatever you want."

"There's so much to remember," Caroline grumbled to herself.

I wrapped my arm around her and hugged her to my side. "Then it's a good thing you aren't going through this alone."

* * *

When we got to the Mystic Falls church, we let Caroline have a few moments alone with her mother's body. I stayed just outside of the room as I leaned by the doorway. Ivan stayed close by her just in case, and I watched her reach over and take his hand.

I felt a presence next to me, and I looked over to see Stefan walking over to me. I instantly felt myself tense, and I blushed slightly. "How is she?" He asked.

"As okay as she can be," I said. "She's taking it strangely in stride. When I lost my parents, I was a total mess."

"Well, maybe bottling it up is just Caroline's way of dealing," Stefan suggested.

I looked over at him. "Are we gonna wait until after the funeral to talk?" I suddenly blurted. I regretted the words as soon as I said them. I closed my eyes and winced.

"Talk about what?" Stefan asked.

"What happened with us," I whispered tensely.

Stefan paused for a second before he said, "I think we should be here for Caroline right now."

I blinked hard to get rid of my tears and nodded. My tears couldn't be for Stefan today. They all belonged to Liz. "Good idea," I said as Elena strode over.

"Hey, they're ready for us," Elena said. She noticed the tension between Stefan and I, I could tell, but she was a good sister and didn't say anything. She nodded her head towards Caroline. "Are you going to call her or will I?"

I took a deep breath as I straightened out my black dress. "I will."

Stefan and Elena left to get into the room where the service would be, and I walked over to where Caroline and Ivan were. "Caroline? They're ready for us. Do you maybe want another minute or something?"

"No, I'm okay," Caroline said as she let go of Ivan's hand and turned to look at her mother's body. "I'm gonna be alright, mom. I promise," She said to Liz, though Caroline knew she wasn't going to get a response. "Everything will be fine after today." She took Ivan's hand again as she turned to me. "I'm ready."

* * *

"We are here today to pay our tribute and our respect to a pillar of our community, our sister, our protector, Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes," The Pastor started. "We are also here today to show our love and support for Liz's family and friends.'

I reached over and took Caroline's hand, while Ivan took Caroline's other hand. Police force members walked up to the podium to honour Liz, and they all placed an American flag over her casket.

"Calling Sheriff Forbes. This is the last call for Sheriff Forbes," One of the officers said. "No response. Radio Number 2-6 is out of service after twelve years and four months of police service. Gone, but never forgotten. Center!"

The officers returned to their seats as Damon walked up to do the eulogy Liz asked him to write.

"Liz Forbes was my friend," Damon started. "In her last moments, she asked me to pass along a message to her daughter, but I cut her off before she could say too much. I told her she could tell Caroline herself, but she didn't get that chance." Damon turned to Caroline. "Your mom wanted you to know how proud of you she was, and she should be. You're a beautiful, strong woman, a generous friend, and a bright light in a sea of dark. She said you were extraordinary, and you are, and so was she. Liz was a hero to this town. She was a hero to all of you. And she was a hero to me. Goodbye, Sheriff. You will be missed."

I could feel tears slipping down my face, but I made no move to stop them. Damon's speech was actually really beautiful. I didn't know he had it in him.

He walked back to his seat as Caroline dropped mine and Ivan's hands as she got up to walk to the front. She was planning on singing a song, and I was preparing myself to cry. "Thank you all for coming," She started. "This is for my mom." She cleared her throat before she opened her mouth and sang, "Go in peace. Go in kindness. Go in love. Go in faith. Leave the day. The day behind us. The day is done. Go in grace. Let us go into the dark. Not afraid. Not alone. Let us hope by some good pleasure. Safely to. Arrive at home."

I was full on sobbing now, and I felt a hand on mine. I looked from the hand up to who the hand belonged to, and I gave Stefan a watery smile as he tried to comfort me.

But truly, he couldn't. Liz Forbes was dead. Nothing was right in the world.

* * *

I grabbed Stefan's hand after we had all gotten to the grill for the refreshments and pulled him off to the side. "Okay, I know this is absolutely the worst time to start this but I need to know right now. Do you regret what we did?"

Stefan didn't answer, but instead reached over and pressed a kiss to my lips. I eagerly returned it but it only lasted a few seconds before he pulled back. "What made you think I regretted it?"

I shrugged slightly. "I don't know. You kind of wouldn't talk to me afterwards and I don't know...We just chose to have sex for the first time ever while Liz was dying."

"I _don't_ regret it," Stefan repeated. "I just didn't want to bring it up in lieu of the events going on. I thought that you didn't want to either, since you were avoiding me."

"To be honest, I thought you were avoiding _me_," I said.

"So, where does this leave us?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I meant what I said that day," I said. "I'm tired of pretending that I don't love you. I've made up my mind. I want to be with you."

Stefan broke out into a huge grin. He reached up and cupped the back of my neck. "I want to be with you, too."

"Okay, then, this is it," I said as I did the same to him. "Let's not screw it up again."

Stefan nodded. "This is it. You and me."

"You and me," I repeated as we leaned our foreheads on each other. We both closed our eyes, just relishing in the moment, before we opened our eyes again. We smiled again, and the two of us met for a kiss. And we just kissed for a little while.

Okay, maybe not _everything_ was wrong in the world. Maybe sometimes, you just had to look for what was right.

* * *

Caroline walked through the door and placed the flag on a table. She took her mom's sweater and put it to her nose, taking a deep sniff to relish the smell of her mother before she put it back down. She sighed when she felt a prescence behind her, knowing who it was.

"I said I was fine, Elena," Caroline sighed.

"I don't believe you," Elena protested. "And don't think you can kick me out because Juliet is on her way and you know you can't resist Juliet."

Caroline turned around as Elena continued. "All day, something has been bugging me. You wanted to pack this all in so quickly like you had somewhere you needed to be. I mean, you were so concerned with getting through today without a hint of how you'd feel tomorrow. And then I realized. You don't want to feel tomorrow. That's the plan, right? You're not going to feel tomorrow because you're going to turn it all off."

"I thought I could get through the rough patch and just pick myself up after like I usually do, but then Damon made me realize it's just going to get worse," Caroline explained.

"You listened to _Damon_?" Elena asked.

"I can't do worse, Elena, okay?" Caroline practically exploded. "I didn't even think there was a worse. It's better this way."

"Better?" Elena asked in disbelief. "Care, you're talking about flipping the humanity switch. There's nothing better about that."

"That is your experience, okay?" Caroline defended as she started straightening up her home. "I have more control over my vampire side than you ever did. My experience will be different."

"It's not gonna be different, Care. It's gonna be deadly. You saw what happened to me when I did it," Elena tried again.

"Yeah, that's my point, Elena!" Caroline exclaimed. "_You _did it. You couldn't handle the pain when your brother died, so you turned it off. Damon died, and you erased all your memories. Stefan moved to Savannah and became an auto mechanic. What, do you think that you guys are the only ones who get to escape grief?"

"You just mentioned two of the biggest mistakes that I ever made," Elena said breathlessly.

"Were they mistakes? Because when you came out the other end, the worst part of the pain was gone, and that's what I need. I just need the pain to be gone," Caroline explained.

Elena gave Caroline a hard glare. "So you could just do that to us?To your friends? To my _brother_?" Caroline's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Ivan. "Ivan is your _boyfriend_. Don't you know what this will do to him? If you shut off your emotions, you'll kill him."

"Ivan will understand," Caroline tried to reason. "His parents are dead. I'm pretty sure if he had the choice he would have done the same." Caroline's face crumpled as she began to cry. "My mom is dead, Elena. I-It hurts so bad, I can't _breathe_. I can't-I can't do worse. I can't, okay? I shouldn't have to."

"No one should have to. It's not fair. It's not. I get it. I _do_," Elena said as she reached forward and pulled Caroline into a hug. "And I know you think that you have it all figured out, but please listen to me. I'm not gonna let you do this."

Caroline let herself have that one moment. That one moment to cry and lose herself in her grief and let herself be comforted by her best friend. And then, she did it. She flipped the switch.

Emotionless, Caroline brought her hands around Elena's neck and turned it sharply to the side, breaking it. Elena's neck snapped, temporarily killing her. Caroline let her drop to the ground.

"That's not your choice to make," Caroline whispered to the body of her friend.

* * *

Hand in hand, Stefan and I walked up the steps of Caroline's house. Elena had texted me, saying that she wanted us to spend the night with Caroline at her house. I had no problem with it at all so I agreed. Stefan was going to stay for a little with us and then go home.

I almost couldn't believe it. After so long, we were finally back together. It just goes to show that as long as you stayed positive in a bad situation, good things will happen. I was so happy to be back with Stefan, but right now, Caroline needed me.

I dug out the key I had to Caroline's house, unlocked the door, and walked in. "Caroline? Elena? I'm here! Stefan's with me!" I called into the house as we walked inside. "Caroline?" I tried again when I didn't get a response. We walked into the living room, and I gasped when I saw Elena on the ground. "Ellie!" I cried out as I dropped down next to her. Stefan called out for Caroline again while I assessed Elena. It looked like she had her neck snapped.

I looked back up at Stefan. "I can't find Caroline," He said.

I looked down at Elena, and it clicked. "You know what this means," I said as Stefan crouched down. I looked over at Stefan as the realization hit him as well

"She turned it off," He finished.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Only a couple episodes to catch up on! I'm so excited!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**The Downward Spiral...**_

**While Juliet is 100% ready to celebrate the return of Bonnie, she's faced with the threat of no-humanity Caroline, a sight that shocks Juliet to the core. Juliet, Stefan, and Elena come up with a plan to fix the problem, but it goes horribly wrong. When Caroline figures out just how much of a threat Juliet really is, she makes a plan of her own to fix her problem.**


	38. The Downward Spiral

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **DUN. DUN. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.

This chapter will answer everyone's question: Will Stefan turn it off?

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ever since Caroline shut off her humanity, she dipped out. We couldn't find her _anywhere_. And when we returned back to the dorm, all of her stuff was gone. It was like we had been looted clean, but Caroline probably just emptied it.

"It's like she never lived here," Elena said to Ivan on the phone as I continued inspecting the room. I opened and closed Caroline's drawers, but it was completely empty.

"How's her house?" I called out over to Elena, who repeated the question to our brother.

"Completely clean," Ivan answered. "Caroline took everything but the damn doors off the hinges."

"So what?" Elena said as she put the phone on speaker. Ivan had gone back to Caroline's house this morning, thinking she'd be there but according to Ivan, it was empty. "She just flips her humanity switch, came back to the dorm, took all of her clothes and thank you notes and just left town? I mean, that makes no sense."

"You really want to talk about sense right now?" Ivan asked. "I distinctly remember Jules telling me that you burned your house down."

I cowered under Elena's glare and turned the other way as Elena continued. "Do you think she's trying to cut off all ties to her past?"

"I really doubt she's trying to having a garage sale, Elena," Ivan practically growled.

"Okay, why are you getting mad at me? I'm not the one who did this," Elena said.

Ivan sighed. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about her."

I sighed in understanding. "Ivan, we all are. Elena and I are going to look around campus. Perhaps somebody knows something. Stefan's gonna ask around Mystic Falls. Call us if you find anything."

"Okay," Ivan said, and we both hung up.

Elena and I both sighed as we turned slightly towards each other. What were we gonna do?

Then, a voice that turned my blood cold said, "Looks like you could use a friend."

Elena and I looked at each other wide eyed, before we turned around to see Bonnie Bennett, in the flesh, standing in front of us.

I had done a lot of crying in the past few weeks, but these were the first tears that I'd shed due to pure joy. "_Bonnie_?" Elena and I both breathed.

"H-how are you-?" Elena started.

"Alive?" Bonnie finished as she walked over to us. "You think I'd be used to this part by now..."

We all laughed cried as we rushed forward and joined into a group hug. I couldn't believe this!

After the initial 'oh my Gods' and explanations, Elena went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of champagne as Bonnie started going through her undisturbed clothes drawers.

"My not-flannel blouse, my not-flannel t-shirts, and ooh! Ooh! I really missed my not-flannel V-neck," Bonnie relished.

"Suck it, 1994!" Elena cheered, and she popped open the bottle of champagne, and I didn't miss the way Bonnie jumped slightly.

"Whew! Ha! So, I bought this bottle of champagne," Elena started as she poured us three glasses of champagne. "The same day that Damon and I thought we were gonna rescue you, but obviously, we didn't, so I couldn't drink it. So, this is to you." She handed us each a glass, and we raised them to each other. "You were stuck there all by yourself while we were back here, living our lives. And, this is the worst toast ever."

"I'm back home," Bonnie said as she wrapped one arm around me, hugging me to her side. "That's all that matters. Cheers!

We all clinked our glasses and drank. Bonnie downed her glass in one gulp, but I stuck to sips. I was _still_ wary of alcohol after the last time.

"Can we talk about the fact that I drove Jeremy away to art school?" Bonnie said as Elena poured her another glass.

"So, does that make you his muse? Because eww," Elena giggled.

"Do me a favor? Don't tell him I'm back yet," Bonnie pleaded.

"Hang on," I said as I put up a finger. "You mean you haven't called him yet?"

"I just... I want to give him a chance at normalcy," She said as she sat down on my bed. "Before we just drag him back into all of this, you know?

"Yeah. No. I-I do, too, but Bonnie, you should at least tell him you're okay," Elena protested slightly. I, however, thought it was good for him. It was hard enough letting him go this one time, if I had to let him go again, it'd be 100 times harder.

"And I will, I'll tell him," Bonnie said. "Coming back to life is complicated. Trust me, I've done it before. Besides, we have a roommate without her humanity and in need for a severe intervention."

Well, as they say, speak of the devil and the devil shall appear.

The door swung open, and Caroline walked with what looked like a hundred shopping bags on her arms.

"Caroline! Um, you're here," Elena stammered.

"And you're perceptive," Caroline shot back, and I nearly dropped my jaw as she passed right past Bonnie. She didn't even _acknowledge_ her. She just dropped her bags on her bed as she said, "Ahh."

"Care, what are you doing?" I asked carefully as I inspected her bags.

"Starting over. New everything!" She said giddily as she began emptying her bags. "New sheets, new clothes. Hey, I even got us a new blow-dryer," She said as she pulled out said blow-dryer. She turned around, and _finally_ noticed Bonnie. "Oh, my god. Bonnie's back. Hi. I thought you were trapped in 1994?"

"I got out," Bonnie said.

"Huh," Was all Caroline said as she turned back to emptying her bags. She had a complete lack of interest in Bonnie, even though she was the one who nearly drove me crazy during the beginning of the summer trying to bring Bonnie back.

"Uh, we-we've been worried about you, Care," Elena said with hesitation.

"You mean, you were worried about those around me, like if I killed them?" Caroline said bluntly. Whoa, this was seriously trippy. "Okay. Funny story. You remember Liam?" She turned to Bonnie to explain. "Oh, Elena dated this pre-med hottie, but then realized she still had feelings for Damon, so she compelled him to forget that they ever had a thing."

"Caroline, what the hell did you do to Liam?" I asked.

Caroline grinned. "I ate him! And he was delicious." All of our faces dropped, and Elena gave Caroline a sort of scolding look. "I mean, you know how cute guys just naturally taste better?"

"You killed Elena's ex?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

Caroline rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Okay, can I just tell my story, please?" She looked over at Elena and I as she sat down on her bed. "Remind me why we're glad she's back again?"

Oh, wow. I definitely didn't like no humanity Caroline.

"Please tell me Liam is not dead," Elena practically begged.

"Fine. So I was feeding, and then, that little voice inside my head that tells me to stop? He never piped up," Caroline continued. "But then Liam got blood on my dress and then I got bored of him, but then if I tried to get rid of his body, I'd have had to either bury him in the forest somewhere, but I wasn't about to drag him through the grass, and I couldn't throw him in the dumpster because everyone is found in dumpsters and I'd be the first person the police would question, since I was the last person seen with him."

Okay, I knew no-humanity Caroline wasn't a good thing, but that was actually pretty brilliant.

"So, you didn't kill him because it would be inconvenient?" Elena concluded.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Elena, I shut off my humanity. I didn't turn into an idiot. The last thing I want to do is give you a reason to ruin my life." She took the champagne bottle we were all sharing and drank straight from it.

"It's so weird. It's like she's Caroline, but she's not," Bonnie said unnerved.

"Oh, Bonnie, how we all just missed your commentary," Caroline said patronizingly. She shook it off as she stood up. "Anyway, in return for my good behavior, I want a year where I don't have to feel any pain or grief or remorse. You're not gonna lock me in a cell and dry me out, and you're _definitely _not gonna try to trigger some latent emotion, hoping to snap my humanity back on."

"So, you just want to be left alone and in return you won't kill anyone?" I asked skeptically.

"That's all I want," Caroline confirmed. "Now granted, if anyone tries anything to flip my switch back on, and I mean _anythin__g_," She dropped her cheery demeanor as she turned serious. "I'll become your worst nightmare."

Since Elena, Bonnie and I didn't have anything to say, Caroline said, "Great! I'm gonna get a latte." She grabbed her purse and headed out the door, calling "See ya!" cheerfully behind her.

Bonnie, Elena and I all exchanged worried and nervous looks. "What are we gonna do?" I asked.

"Well, it looks like we're going to have to do what she says if we don't want people to die," Bonnie said.

"Are you kidding? Elena said the same thing to Damon, Stefan and I when we were all in New York when she had her humanity turned off. We can't just _leave_ her like that," I said as I looked between my two best friends. "Can we?"

My question hung in the air as my phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket and automatically smiled when I saw it was Stefan. "Hey," I said when I answered.

"Hey. Uh, listen," Stefan started. "I never thought I would ask this, but, um... Do you want to go to a rave?"

I made a face, but I turned around to Bonnie and Elena, putting the speaker part of my phone on my shoulder. "Anybody up for a rave?" I asked.

* * *

Loud music and strobe lights blared from the warehouse. Two security guards stood outside the entrance as Bonnie, Elena, and I approached it. We all gave each other a look that asked if the other person was ready, and we pulled back a white sheet to reveal a full blown party.

I'd never been to a rave before. I was never a party girl, so this was pretty overwhelming. The music was so loud it pretty much shook me from the inside and it nearly blew my eardrums out. It was really hot too and there was a lot of people. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of sweaty people, and I had to squint to see.

Girls with painted faces and skimpy outfits, shirtless guys and glow-stick jewelry, and techno music surrounded us as we walked through the crowd. Everyone was cheering loudly, laughing, dancing, talking, and drinking. A lot.

"Okay, not exactly the Welcome Home party I was planning for you but," Elena yelled over the noise. She turned around to look at us. I was closer to her so I could hear her better, and she said, "I think we should split up and look for Caroline!"

Bonnie apparently didn't hear her, because she said, "Maybe we should split up and look for Caroline."

Elena just laughed before she said, "Good idea!"

We wished each other good luck as we split apart. I had to push past a lot of sweaty and gross people, but I found Caroline pretty quickly. She looked like she was having a good time dancing with some guy, and the bracelet that I had given her for Christmas glistened in the strobe lights. I was so distracted by it that I didn't notice that she had caught sight of me. When she did, she put her face next to the guy's face and vamped out, red eyes and black veins and all. I immediately moved forward to save whoever she was dancing with, but Caroline gave me a look that said, "Ah-ah-ah, remember our deal?" before grinning devilishly at me. I still wasn't too sure, but Caroline rolled her eyes at me as she mouthed, "I'm fine. " She gave me a wink before she went back to dancing.

This wasn't good. Caroline could say she was fine all she wanted, but I knew her. She wasn't. She especially wasn't if she had to turn her humanity off to deal with her mother's death.

A guy came up to me and tried dancing on me, but I rolled my eyes and used my magic to literally push him off and away from me. I held my hands up, concentrated, and he practically propelled away from me. I rolled the kinks in my neck as I began looking for Elena and Bonnie.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned around to blast whatever drunk was on me, but I sighed in relief when I saw that it was just my boyfriend. "Oh boy, am I glad to see you," I said as I reached forward and wrapped my arms around Stefan's neck.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he hugged me back.

I nodded against his shoulder. "Fine."

We pulled back just as Elena squeezed past two girls dancing and came over to us. "Hey. How's the Liam situation? Did he have any bite marks on him?"

"No, which means she must have given him her blood," Stefan concluded.

"And he doesn't remember the feeding?" I asked.

"He remembers them making out-in graphic detail-," Stefan made a face. "But that's about it."

"So, that means she's covering her tracks. It's very thorough. It's actually really good," Elena said surprisingly.

"No, it's not good. It means that she's gonna use him as a human blood bag every time she gets hungry," Stefan argued.

"Or she'll drink from the blood bags in our fridge that she just restocked," Elena defended.

I put a hand up as I looked at her in confusion. "Hang on...are you actually _defending_ her actions?" I asked.

"I'm just saying she hasn't actually hurt anyone, and there's no bodies that have shown up at the med center, no students are missing... What if she actually has this under control? You know, we give her her year, she's happy, and then-" Elena said.

"And then what's going to happen? She'll turn it back on?" I asked. "What if she decides that she doesn't want to and asks for another year? Obviously we won't want to give it to her so she'll go on another rampage and then where does that leave us? Even then, with her humanity turned off, she's just prolonging her real feelings about her mother's death. She'll start feeling everything she _should_ have felt and gotten over in the year she shut it off and then she'll most _definitely_ go off the rails."

Elena sighed, but I knew she knew I was right. "What's your plan?"

"Let me talk to Caroline," I offered.

Stefan immediately shook his head. "Nuh-uh. No way."

"I agree with Stefan," Elena said. "Besides, you heard Caroline's warning."

"You did too, but you still want to do something," I retorted. I looked between the two of them. "Just, think about it for a second. Who does Caroline love the most in the world?"

"Her mother," Stefan automatically answered.

"But her mom's not alive anymore," Elena pointed out.

I put my hands up. "I know that. Now, who's the _second_ person that Caroline loves the most in the world?"

They both thought for a minute, and I knew it clicked in Elena's mind by the look on her face. She looked at me and said, "You."

I smirked as I nodded. "And now that her first person is gone, I'd be automatically bumped up to the number one spot."

"Wait, but how do you know that Caroline loves you the most in the world?" Stefan asked.

I rolled my eyes as I elbowed him in the chest. "Caroline and I practically shared a house growing up. I can't remember a time she wasn't over at our place or I wasn't over at hers. We shared _everything_-clothes, toys, books. Which is not an easy thing to do with human Caroline Forbes because she was literally the most selfish person you'd ever know. But I still loved her. And through everything, she's loved me. Through boys and fights and secrets and this new supernatural stuff, it was always me and Caroline before anybody else. Plus," I pointed at my own wrist. "I saw her wearing the bracelet I got her for Christmas that has pictures of all of us in it. If she was really without all of her humanity and gave up all hope of getting it back, she wouldn't be wearing it."

I knew I was getting closer to convincing them. "Please, guys? Please? If I look like I'm in trouble come and sweep me out of there. But _trust me_. It doesn't have to be romantic love to be an emotional trigger. Caroline Forbes loves me."

* * *

First, I had to change outfits if I wanted to connect with Caroline properly.

So I knocked out one of the college girls, dragged her to the bathroom, and swapped clothes with her. The spell I used had her unconscious for an hour, so as long as I came back in an hour I'd be fine.

I ditched my jeans and t-shirt for the black miniskirt, black halter top, and black high heels. I didn't know what this girl was going for but if she was looking to blend in with the background she did a perfect job.

I pinned my hair up and decided I looked good enough for Caroline Forbes. Shoulders rolled back and head held high, I left the bathroom and went back to the bar.

Caroline was just lifting a shot to her lips when I snatched it right out of her hands and tossed it back myself. It burned badly on the way down (I couldn't remember the last time I had done a shot) but I didn't let it show as I ordered another one.

Caroline smirked as she glanced at my new outfit. "Look who's finally living on the edge."

"Well, when in Rome," I said as the bartender pushed two shots towards us. We each picked up one as we toasted. "Do as the Romans do." We tipped the shots into our mouths. It went down better this time for me.

_Don't get used to it, Gilbert. As soon as this is done you're cut off for three months_, I told myself.

Caroline began people watching, and I noticed her narrow her eyes in obvious judgment at one girl in particular, so I followed her gaze. The woman didn't look that bad, in my opinion. Then again, I was always nice.

"Well, that's certainly a look," She said.

I gave her a look. "There is no need for you to be jealous. We all already know you're ten times hotter than the next girl."

She gave me a look of approval as she knocked back another shot. "Speaking of looks, I like your new one," She said as she gestured to me.

"Well, the old Juliet would be a bore at a rave," I said. "I figured new clothes would break me out of my shell." I leaned forward slightly. "But you know who's look is the worst?"

"Who's?" She asked.

I dropped my friendly act and gave her a look. "Yours. This whole no humanity thing doesn't suit you."

"Juliet..." Caroline warned, but I cut her off.

"No, you're gonna listen, and you're gonna listen good," I demanded. "You are the most social and emotional person that I know. You have to feel everything or else you fall apart. Having no humanity is going to destroy who you are and when you turn it back on you'll be so disgusted with yourself that you'll turn it back off. You are acting like a spoiled brat. Do you know how many people I've lost in my life? I can't even count on ten fingers. I lost _two_ moms, Caroline." I held up two fingers to emphasize. "_Two_ mothers, and two fathers, and everyone else in between. And you know how I dealt with it? I dealt it with it by being with my friends. I didn't take the cowardly way out and run away, which-as long as your humanity is off-is what you're doing. Caroline, you're my _best friend_, I know you better than _anyone_ in the _world_.And when you finally come back to your senses, you'll realize that this isn't what you want."

"How do _you_ know what I want?" Caroline spat. "This _is_ what I want. And I don't care about my dead mother or you or anybody else."

"That's a lie," I automatically said. I grabbed her wrist, and she tried to yank it back but I had a tight grip on it. "Why else would you still be wearing this bracelet?" I asked.

She wretched her wrist away from me and moved to take her bracelet off but just as her fingers touched the clasp...she couldn't do it.

"See?" I said gently. I took Caroline's hand in my own. "When you turn it back on, it'll hurt. It'll hurt like a bitch. But you'll have _me_. And you'll have Ivan and you'll have Elena and Bonnie and Stefan. We're all gonna be here for you as long as you give us the chance and _let us_."

Caroline's face changed a little as she looked at her hand in my own and as she stared at the bracelet. She was so close to cracking, I knew it. I knew I had her and so did she. She looked up at me and it looked like she was gonna do it, but her face changed at the last second.

"I warned you," Caroline said sadistically as she snatched her hand out of my grip. "You shouldn't have done that."

And in the blink of an eye, she vamp sped out of sight.

_Crap_, I thought to myself as I looked at the empty spot. Damn it, I thought I had it. I was so close.

* * *

Caroline really thought that Juliet would understand her situation. Given the fact that she lost her own parents, Caroline thought that Juliet would _sympathize_ with her and let her have her no-humanity year.

She didn't expect Juliet to retaliate the way she did.

She was close. Oh, she was so close. Caroline was a few seconds away from switching it back on because of the words that were coming out of her best friend's mouth, but she realized last second what she was _doing_. It turned out, Juliet was a bigger competitor than Caroline ever guessed. She was also very determined, so she knew that Juliet would stop at nothing to get Caroline to turn her humanity back on.

Caroline was a cheerleader and very competitive, and she knew how to take care of a rival competitor.

Break 'em down and take 'em out.

* * *

As Stefan, Elena and Ivan (who had gotten to the rave as fast as he could) waited for Juliet to come back with progress, Stefan's phone suddenly rang. He rolled his eyes when he realized that it was Enzo. "What, you really think I want to hear from you right now?" He asked, annoyed.

However, the voice on the other end was _definitely_ not Enzo.

"Aw, is someone having a bad night?" Caroline said, the pout clear in her voice.

Stefan, Elena, and Ivan were all surprised to hear Caroline's voice on Enzo's phone.

"What are you doing with Enzo's phone?" Stefan asked.

"I stole it, but that's not the question that you should be asking right now," Caroline answered. "You should be asking, 'Why does Enzo have Sarah Salvatore's number in his phone?' Or maybe, 'Where is Sarah Salvatore?' Or perhaps, 'Where is Juliet?' And ultimately, 'What the hell are you going to do to them, Caroline?'"

Stefan felt hot fire course through his veins instead of blood at the thought of Caroline doing something to Juliet or Sarah. "Caroline, what the hell are you doing with Juliet and Sarah?"

"There! An appropriate question. Thank you for asking. As a matter of fact, I'm going to kill them," Caroline sang, and she hung up before Stefan or Elena could say anything.

Stefan, Elena, and Ivan all exchanged horrified looks. "Why didn't we send someone to look after Juliet?" Ivan hissed.

"We thought she could handle it," Elena said feebly, but she shook it off. "That doesn't matter. Right now we have to get to whereever the hell Caroline is and _save her_."

Stefan could practically see red. His hand was gripping his phone so tightly that if he wasn't careful, he was going to bend it in half. It didn't matter if Caroline was his best friend, if she hurt Juliet in any way, he was going to kill her.

* * *

I blinked, hard. What the hell happened?

I looked up to see the ceiling, but it was all dingy and gross. I must have been in a basement. I moved to sit up but couldn't. I started panicking when I realized I was tied to an operating table.

I tried using a spell that would undo the restraints and the memory of what happened came back to me.

_"Caroline!" I called out as I ran around the party. I couldn't find her anywhere and I needed to before she hurt someone._

_ I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Caroline. Before I could say anything, she grabbed the sides of my head and compelled me, "You can't use your magic for the next three hours. You're powerless."_

_ Since I got rid my only source of vervain when I broke up with Stefan, I had no choice but to repeat the words. And that was when Caroline hit me over the head with a blunt object and I blacked out._

Where the hell had she taken me?

I looked over to see that I wasn't alone in the room. In the room was a mocha skinned woman who looked to be about my age. She was still out, though, so no hope there.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps from outside the room. "Help!" I called out. "Help me!"

Someone finally walked in, but I couldn't see them until they came in front of me. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion when I saw who it was.

"Liam?" I said as I looked at him up and down. He was holding a scalpel in his hand and that immediately made me wary. "Get the hell away from me with that."

"I can't," Liam said, and he actually tried to hold his hand that held the scalpel away from me, but whatever was driving him was too great. "Caroline told me to do this."

"_Caroline_?" I said incredously.

* * *

At the Scull Bar, Caroline started making herself margaritas as she waited for the do-gooders-Stefan, Elena, and Ivan-to arrive.

"Hey! I'm making margaritas," She said as the three of them arrived, just on time. "You want one?"

"Where's Jules and Sarah?" Elena asked through gritted teeth.

"I see Stefan filled you in on his big secret," Caroline said casually.

"Where are they, Caroline?" Stefan demanded.

"Not here. That would be stupid," Caroline answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world. She prepped the glasses with salt as she said, "They're with Liam. Say hi!"

Caroline, who had called Liam just before, came through the speaker, shaky and panicked. "Hello!"

"Juliet and Sarah are helping Liam with his surgical skills," Caroline offered.

* * *

"Don't do this, Liam!" I shrieked as I desperately tried getting away. The other girl, who had revealed herself to be named Sarah, was panicking as well.

"I don't want to do this!" Liam said in fright.

"Duh. You're probably gonna get expelled, and then found guilty of murder. That's why I compelled you to do what I wanted," Caroline's voice through Liam's speaker phone said.

"No! Please! Please!" I begged.

* * *

"Look, Caroline. I'm sorry. We shouldn't have let Juliet push you," Stefan said.

"Obviously. I was pretty clear about that," Caroline said mindlessly as she continued to work on her margarita.

"I get you going after Juliet because she tried to convince you to turn it back on, but why go after Sarah?" Elena asked, very confused.

"Oh, you see, that's the brilliant thing," Caroline said excitedly. "I don't want to hurt Juliet just physically, but I want to hurt her emotionally. I know that her and Stefan are all of a sudden a thing again, and I know that hurting Sarah will put a strain on their relationship because Juliet will defend me and Stefan won't and that'll lead to a break up!" Caroline snapped her fingers. "Foolproof!"

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Stefan said. Obviously Juliet would never do that.

"Is it? Is it really?" Caroline asked. "We all know that Juliet will always love me more than anyone, so who is she gonna defend?" Caroline put two hands up to make them a scale. She held one hand up. "Her best friend since the sandbox." She lowered the first hand and raised the second. "Or the guy that hurt her in the worst way possible?" She teasingly moved the scales up and down as she tipped them before getting back to work on her margaritas.

Stefan would never admit it out loud, but Caroline made a good point. Juliet's friendships mean more to her than any other one, but would she really defend Caroline in this decision?

"Look, I know that you can't feel it right now, Care, but if you kill Sarah, it's gonna haunt you forever," Elena said, desperately wanting to change the subject. "Trust me. I did it, and it sucks."

Caroline poured the margarita mix into the glasses and laughed condescendingly. "I compelled a student to perform surgery on Stefan's niece, and you found a way to make this about you? God, you truly have a gift, Elena."

Caroline turned to face Ivan. "Well, dear boyfriend, aren't you going to say anything?"

Ivan looked like he was holding his tears back. "I just can't believe that the _real_ you didn't think that this was something I could help you with. I'm your _boyfriend_, Caroline. This is the kind of thing that I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to support you through everything but you're not giving me the opportunity to."

Caroline tilted her head to observe Ivan. "You know something? You're probably the best boyfriend I've ever had. Matt was good, but he was Elena's damaged goods. Tyler was great, but he made me feel like I was the only one contributing in the relationship. He always put other people before. And, well, technically Klaus and I never dated, but he did leave right after we had sex. You are the one thing that was good about my life." She held up a finger. "And that's why I have to cut you loose."

"What?" Ivan asked.

Caroline shrugged. "I don't have the feelings for a boyfriend anymore. Maybe when I eventually turn it back on we can talk about it, but I wouldn't hold your breath. I was thinking of extending my no-humanity year because you guys disobeyed me."

"Look at me, Caroline," Stefan said, and Caroline did. "What do you want us to do? You want us to leave town, we'll leave town. Juliet and her hold over you and I will stay as far away from you as possible. Just please let her and Sarah go."

"That's the problem, Stefan," Caroline said. "It doesn't really matter how far away you are. Juliet is still Juliet, and she made me feel like I wasn't crazy." She put little umbrellas into the margaritas. "If you think about it, Juliet is kind of like Voldemort. She puts pieces of her soul into other people because she loves them so much. As long as those people are like her-someone like you, for example-she's still a threat."

"Killing Juliet and Sarah isn't gonna change that," Stefan said.

"I know, that's why I'd rather just change the people she loves, starting with you because she seems to like you the best after me," Caroline said. "Let go of that part of you, Stefan."

"Caroline, what are you talking about?" Elena asked, very confused and getting very impatient.

"If Stefan wants to save Juliet and Sarah's life," Caroline raised up two glasses of margaritas. "All he has to do is shut his humanity off."

Stefan, Elena, and Ivan stared at her in horror, and Caroline frowned. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Do I need to repeat myself?"

"He is _not _turning his humanity off," Elena said firmly.

Caroline rolled her eyes as she set the glasses on the bar. "Elena, Stefan unleashed himself from you months ago. He can think for himself now. I need a partner in crime, and Stefan's always been my best friend. Besides, no-humanity Stefan is fun."

"It's not gonna happen, Caroline," Stefan spoke for himself.

* * *

Caroline's plan was chilling, but it was brilliant. It turned out, Caroline knew me a lot better than I knew her. She knew that I'd defend her over Sarah (who, it turned out, was in fact, the _real_ Sarah Salvatore, Stefan's niece) and she was right. I'd pick Caroline over anyone any day, no matter what she'd done. It was an automatic choice that my brain wouldn't even let me make for myself. But turning Stefan's _humanity_ off? That'd _destroy_ him.

"Hey Liam?" Caroline's voice through the speaker came. "Cut out Juliet's spleen."

"Caroline!" I screeched at the same time as Elena.

"Relax! She can live without a spleen, you know. It's really the infection you should be worried about," Caroline said.

"Liam, don't do this, _please_!" I begged. "Let me go, just let me go."

"I'm sorry!" Liam said honestly, and he lowered the scalpel to my abdomen.

If I had been asleep, this wouldn't have hurt. But of course, I wasn't and when someone tore open your skin with a knife, it usually hurt. My poor body. First a stake, now being cut open.

I screamed with all my might as Sarah screamed as well for me. Blood began oozing out of my stomach, and I was nearly sickm, as was Liam.

"Hey, Liam- remember that conversation we had earlier about being honest? Where are you?" Stefan called out.

"Don't answer him, Liam!" Caroline said, but she was too late and Liam answered first. "Whitmore Medical."

"Hey!" Caroline protested. "Liam, rip out Sarah's intestines," Caroline demanded.

"No!" Sarah and I both screamed as Liam had no choice but to turn towards Sarah.

"Please don't hurt me!" Sarah screamed.

Liam, unable to stop himself, sliced her with the scalpel, and she screamed in pain. I couldn't use my magic, otherwise the two of us would be gone. Liam hadn't actually gone very deep with the scalpel on me but there was a steady stream of blood coming out of my wound, and I started getting dizzy at the sight and smell of it.

"Go! Get Jules and Sarah out of there!" Stefan demanded of Elena and Ivan.

"Good luck getting there in time," Caroline said mockingly.

"Please, Liam!" Sarah shrieked.

"How's it going, Liam?" Caroline asked Liam casually.

Liam gaped wide-eyed in terror at the lacerations on Sarah's abdomen. "I think I'm gonna go into pediatrics!"

"You know what? I changed my mind. Leave Sarah and her intestines," Caroline said, and Liam relaxed and sighed in relief.

"Let's be a little bit more symbolic," Caroline said. "Take out Juliet's heart. That way, she can be free to fully give it to Stefan."

"No!" I screamed, but Liam, forced by the hand of compulsion, began cutting my shirt open as I continued to scream in the hopes that Elena would find us and save us.

"Liam, don't do it!" I begged and the lights began flickering above us in response to my panicked emotion. _Please, pull a Kai_, I begged the lights.

"You're making it worse. You'll only make it worse," Liam said, though he was horrifed at what he was doing.

"You'll kill her!" Sarah said. "Liam, she'll die! Liam!"

"Listen to her, Liam!" I begged.

Liam, however, took a torn piece of my shirt and shoved it into my mouth to keep me from screaming. He did the same thing to Sarah.

My eyes widened with terror as Liam picked up a sternal saw and turned it on. "I've never used one of these before. I'm so sorry."

I could only scream again. I hadn't done this much screaming since I tried to piss off the Travelers. Then, I had _wanted_ them to kill me, but not now. I wanted to live. I wanted to _live,_ god damn it!

* * *

After an altercation with Stefan, Caroline took his phone from his pocket when it started ringing. She had put a stake in his back, but she pulled it out when she grabbed his phone. "Stefan's phone!" Caroline said brightly.

"Caroline, where are they?" Elena demanded as she ran through the hospital. She and Ivan had split up, but neither of them could find them.

"Hey. You're gonna be a doctor, right? How long can one live without their heart?" Caroline asked. "Maybe, like, three seconds tops?"

Stefan slowly got to his feet. "She's gonna let them die, Elena."

"I can't find them anywhere. We're running out of time!" Elena said desperately.

Caroline turned to face Stefan, who looked terrified. He sighed in defeat and looked at Caroline. "Tell Juliet to bring me back."

"What?" Elena asked, perplexed. "Stefan, w-what do you mean? Bring you back from where?"

Stefan drew a shaky breath. "Just tell her to remember to bring me back."

Caroline pulled the phone away from her ear, keeping her eyes locked on Stefan she grinned triumphantly.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Stefan! No! Stefan, no!" Elena protested.

Stefan's last thought was of Juliet's beautiful face when they made love for the first time, and he had no doubts that she could do it. She was the reason he was doing it. She was his everything. She was his _life_.

He would do anything to save her.

Stefan took a deep breath and closed his eyes as Caroline watched him gleefully. Seconds later, Stefan opened his eyes again, and his expression had changed.

It was done.

Caroline smiled in victory and hung up the phone.

"Stefan. No!" Elena screamed when she realized that Caroline had hung up.

* * *

Much to my displeasure, I hadn't blacked out, so I felt every single stab of pain when Liam attempted the open wound on my chest. Liam was covered in blood and so was I, for obvious reasons. I was on the verge of finally blacking out to blissful peace when the door banged open and someone ran in. I could barely tilt my head, but I started crying as soon as I recognized the person to be Elena.

"Oh, my God," Elena breathed in horror.

"Elena, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I'm doing," Liam said, terrified out of his wits.

"Just stop," Elena said to him. There was suddenly a shadow over me, and Elena pressed her wrist to my mouth. I instantly started drinking the blood, desperately wanting to be healed.

"I have to take out her heart," Liam said in a daze, and he suddenly lunged towards me to finish the job. Elena, however, broke both of his wrists before he could do anything, and he dropped to the ground with a yelp.

Elena fed me more blood, and I turned my head in Sarah's direction. "Sarah," I breathed, clearing my throat of blood. Sarah needed to be healed.

Elena ran over to Stefan's niece and fed her some of her blood. Sarah's wounds instantly began to heal, and I felt better enough to attempt to sit up.

"It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay," Elena said as she came back over to me and took out her phone. She dialed Stefan and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?" I heard Stefan say, but there was something...off, about his voice.

"Stefan, hey, thank God. I found them," Elena said, relieved. "They're gonna be okay."

"Oh, really?" Stefan said and again, there was something wrong with his voice.

"Stefan, are you okay?" Elena asked.

"Well, I will be in one second," Stefan said, and he took a sip of something and sighed in relief. "Mmmm... I really needed that."

"Please don't tell me that you shut it off," Elena pleaded, and my stomach dropped.

I wretched the phone away from Elena and held it to my ear. "Stefan?" I said. "Don't tell me that you shut it off!" Again, no answer. I started getting even more stressed out, to the point where I practically growled, "Stefan, don't you dare tell me that you turned it off!"

* * *

Stefan, who was calmly sipping from his margarita behind the bar, listened to his girlfriend starting to panic. "Okay. I won't."

He then handed the phone to Caroline, who was laying on her back on the bar. With a victory smirk on her face, she said, "He shut it off."

With that, she hung up the phone and tossed it to the side. She gave Stefan a grin as he drank from his margarita, and she looked up at the ceiling.

She had won.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Well, that's that!**

**Let's see how this all plays out!**

**I'm trying to reintroduce the fact that there is such thing as familial and friendship love, a fact that Julie Plec has so conveniently**** "forgotten", hence why Jules is the emotional trigger, and not someone like Ivan. Besides, Caroline has known Jules longer.**

**Also, kudos to me for figuring a way around this crap all by myself! I feel so smart!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**A Bird in a Gilded Cage...**_

**Juliet tries to make the best of a crappy situation when she is held captive and forced to follow around Caroline, a humanity-less vampire. When Stefan shows up to stir up trouble, Juliet tries to figure out a way to deal with the new situation.**


	39. A Bird in a Gilded Cage

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **This episode was boring so it's short LOL.

ALSO! If you check my "Upcoming Stories" section in my profile, I have some projects for Ripples of Reality coming up! Check 'em out and let me know if it'd be something you're interested in!

I apologize for the delay. The past two weeks have been very hectic and on top of that The Doctor's Charlene had written a scene for this chapter and I needed to wait for her to write the scene before I could publish.

Enough with my excuses!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I don't know how she did it, but Caroline kidnapped me.

Again.

Staying in the dorm was no longer an option for now, so I opted for packing a bag and going to stay at the Salvatore house for a while. Damon and Elena were there, so I knew I'd be safe.

I hadn't heard from either Stefan or Caroline in a while, so I was paranoid like 24/7, thinking that something like the night of the rave would happen again.

And, of course, as soon as I put my guard down, I was knocked on the back of the head with a blunt object and passed out.

When I woke up, I was in a car. It was like when Enzo kidnapped me when Damon went ripper all over again. Oh man, if Enzo kidnapped me again, I was going to kill him...

It looked like it wasn't Enzo I was going to be killing. It was Caroline.

I visibly flinched when I saw Caroline driving in the front seat. She rolled her eyes when she saw me flinch but kept driving. "Look who's finally awake. Let me tell you, beauty sleep doesn't help you at all."

I rolled my eyes at her stab and gripped the back of the seat. "What the hell have you done with me? Where are we?"

"We are on our way to an audition," Caroline answered. "I needed moral support."

"You're really going to talk about morality?" I asked her sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes. "Listen, you're not my first pick, so shut up."

"Where's Stefan?" I asked bitterly. I couldn't find my own boyfriend because my best friend had turned off his emotions. "I thought you got him to shut it off because you needed a friend?"

"Well actually I did it mostly to hurt you," Caroline answered as the car came to a stop. She grinned maliciously at me through the rear view mirror. "Aren't I brilliant?"

"A brilliant bitch," I mumbled under my breath as I looked away.

"I heard that," Caroline sang as she got out of the car. She opened the backseat door, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out. I was barely on my feet when she started compelling me. "You're not going to hurt me, whether it be with violence or magic. And you're going to be my little helper and do everything I say and follow me around."

I had no choice but to repeat the words, and I nearly kicked her, but stopped as I realized that I couldn't. I growled in frustration as I reluctantly followed Caroline.

I practically fell asleep during her audition (mainly because whatever she was trying out for was super boring-even if humanity-Caroline had gotten the role I would have put sunglasses over my eyes and slept the entire performance), so I jerked awake when I heard another voice besides the director's.

"Moving. Truly. Although it did lack a certain, um, authenticity," Stefan said.

"What the hell are you doing? That was the director!" Caroline said, and I horrifically realized that Stefan had beheaded the director.

"And you are a vampire without humanity, singing about heartbreak," Stefan said sarcastically.

"It's a performance, Stefan," Caroline said with an eye roll.

As Stefan spoke, he got up and walked down the stairs toward the stage. "It sure is, Caroline. Especially this carefully crafted good student routine, straight and narrow, anything to keep you from making a mistake you might regret one year from now when you flip your switch back on. Oh, except the whole ruining my life part."

"Well, if your humanity's off, then you shouldn't really care how I deal," Caroline retorted.

"No, no, no. See, that's where you're wrong. Because, like you, I'm prone to doing bad things when my humanity is off, but unlike you, I don't have an elaborate system to keep me in check," Stefan said.

"Well that's not my problem," Caroline answered.

"And this isn't _my_ problem," I hissed as I got up and walked over to them, and Stefan finally took notice of me. I pointed at Caroline. "_You're_ the one who shut off your humanity," and then I pointed at Stefan, "And you're the one who was forced to shut off you're humanity. This isn't my problem."

"Remind me why I shut my humanity off for you?" Stefan scoffed, and I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows at the jab. He looked between Caroline and I. "Well, I'm making it your problem. If my life is gonna fall apart when my humanity starts flooding back, then so is yours. When I'm done with you, you'll be drowning in mistakes."

"This is seriously about revenge?" Caroline asked incredulously.

"Yes, it is. And this?" Stefan held up his bloody hands, and I was forced to keep my dinner down. "This is a control freak's worst nightmare. This is me undoing your routine. This is me..." Stefan wiped blood onto Caroline's lips, causing her face to vamp out. "Forcing you to let go, one day at a time, until you break."

And without another word, he turned around and left the auditorium. Caroline growled as she wiped the blood off of her lips. She turned around to face me and barked out, "Why are you just standing there? Get over here and help me."

I rolled my eyes but the compulsion forced my feet forwards. We took the director's dead body (Caroline forced me to hold the head because she enjoyed watching me squirm) and stuffed it into a furnace. I felt so bad for doing it, but Caroline told me that I could either get over it or I'd be joining the director in there.

After, we went over to Stefan's motorcycle equipped with mechanical tools and basically took it all apart. We made it look like it was fine and went off to the side to wait for Stefan to come out. He did, and he put on his helmet and tried to get on to his bike, but it fell apart right from under him.

"Oh, shoot. Is your bike okay?" Caroline asked in a condescending tone as she came out of the shadows, and I was forced to follow her. "Do you need money for the bus?"

"Seriously?" Stefan said.

"We just had to stuff the director's body into a furnace," Caroline said as she gestured between the two of us. "Do you know how hard it was to get an audition during spring break?"

"Oh, come on. It was easy for you, Caroline. All you had to do was shed some tears about your mom's funeral, play the cancer card, and boom - your precious routine is back on track," Stefan said as he knelt down to put his bike back together. I got choked up from the mention of Liz but it didn't seem to affect Caroline at all. "Am I wrong?"

"This is your only warning. Go away," Caroline threatened.

"Neat, organized Caroline. Staying within the lines. Good at control, terrible at revenge," Stefan joked.

"We dismantled your bike," Caroline defended.

"I tore your director's head off with my teeth. Oh, my God. Caroline, literally just unbolted this damn thing? I mean, it's gonna take me, what, ten minutes to put this back together? You are an embarrassment to humanity-free vampires everywhere," Stefan jabbed.

Caroline growled as she walked over and punched a hole in Stefan's gas tank. Then, she took a hold of my wrist and dragged me away from the scene.

This day wasn't going to get any better, was it?

* * *

"Can't you just let me go?" I asked.

"Stop your whining," Caroline said from her spot at our desk in our dorm. She was actually doing her _homework_. It was incredibly weird. I guess I was just so used to humanity-less vampires being crazy and reckless that Caroline's state came as a shock. "Hey, I'm making flashcards, do you want any?"

"You're making _flashcards_?" I asked incredulously as I set my own textbook aside and pushed myself off of my bed. "Caroline, you've got your humanity switch flipped, and you're making _flashcards_?"

"I just don't want to flunk out," She defended herself. "Besides, I told you, I was fine."

Before I could despute that she wasn't, there was a sudden noise outside. Caroline and I both turned to the door, and she pointed at me. "You stay right here and don't come unless I call you, understand?"

Poisoned by her compulsion, I was forced to nod and go back to sit down on my bed. Caroline walked out of the room to see what was going on, and I picked up a pillow and crashed it on to my head.

How the hell was I going to escape? Witches couldn't be compelled but because I was technically a sub topic of witch, compulsion could still be used on me. However, it went away eventually. I was just praying that it'd pass as soon as possible so I could run and never look back.

"JULIET! HELP ME!" I suddenly heard Caroline shriek, and I jumped out of bed to follow where her voice was.

I found her pinned on the ground by Stefan, who was raising a stake above his head to kill Caroline with. I stuck my hands out in front of me, miming pushing Stefan off of Caroline and my magic flew Stefan off of her and crashed him into the wall behind him. Caroline got up and vamp sped over to to him, taking the stake he was gonna kill her with and stabbing him instead.

I felt so guilty, but I was compelled to protect Caroline over anybody else. And to be honest, I would have done the same thing to Stefan even if I _wasn't_ compelled, because I knew I'd get the old Caroline back eventually.

"Good work," Caroline said as she looked over at me. She looked back at Stefan and grabbed his ankles. "Now grab his wrists and help me get him out of here."

I did as she asked and grabbed Stefan's wrists as we dragged him through the hall, the stake still buried in his stomach. Suddenly, the building door opened and a girl wearing a field hockey uniform and carrying a field hockey stick walked in and caught us dragging Stefan.

"What are you doing?" The girl demanded.

We both froze, and Caroline dropped Stefan's arm to the ground as she turned around to face her. "What are _you_ doing? It's called 'spring break.'"

"It's called practice," The girl retorted. She noticed that Stefan had a piece of wood in his stomach and became alarmed. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," I spoke up.

Suddenly, Stefan woke up, pulled the stake out of his abdomen, and threw it at the girl. It embedded itself into the girl's stomach, and Stefan looked almost bored as he stood up and walked toward them.

The girl screamed in pain, and I quickly stepped forward to grab her before she could fall. I knew the pain of being stabbed in the stomach with wood, and I knew how painful it was.

"Nice going, you jackass!" Caroline yelled at Stefan. She pulled the stake out of the girl's stomach and bit into her wrist to feed her her blood.

"Second lesson in losing control- No. Saving. Strangers," Stefan said, and he vamped out and sped over to Caroline to pull her away from the girl drinking her blood, but Caroline saw it coming and hit him upside the head with the stake, knocking him onto the floor.

Caroline whipped around to face me. "Take this girl back to our dorm. We'll deal with it later."

I nodded, grabbed the girl's elbow and helped her up. I turned her around and began running with her to our dorm room, leaving Caroline to deal with Stefan. When I got there, I put a towel down on the ground and carefully laid the girl on it. Then, I got the first aid kit from under our bathroom sink and went back over to the girl. I had to pry her hands off of her wound so I could try to clean it up a bit until Caroline got here to heal her.

Times like this made me wish I had gone into medicine like Elena decided to.

The door to our dorm was suddenly kicked open, and I gasped and turned to see Stefan casually strolling inside. I stood up and immediately went in front of the girl. "Stay back," I threatened, flexing my fingers.

Stefan only laughed. "Ooh, I'm scared now."

I ignored him as I asked, "Where's Caroline?"

"Oh, she's taking a nap with Enzo and Alaric," Stefan said as he pointed behind him to the hall.

The compulsion wired in my brain immediately told me to go and help Caroline, but Stefan stood in front of me before I could leave the room.

"Get the hell out of my way," I growled.

"Feisty," Stefan commented. "I like it. Where was this when we were going out?"

I lifted my hand to do a spell, but he grabbed it before I could and looked deeply into my eyes. "You're not going to use your magic, and you're not going to go to Caroline."

I made a face as I repeated the words back to him and wrestled my wrist back away from him. Again, I went back to stand in front of the girl. Even if I couldn't use my magic, I still had to try.

Stefan laughed patronizingly as he watched me. "That's cute. That's actually so adorable."

"Stay away from us Stefan," I said. "I mean it."

"Or you'll what?" Stefan asked as he began walking closer to us. I held my ground. "You're compelled, remember?"

That was true, I was. But I wasn't going to let him see my fear. I hadn't been scared when he first shut it off, and I refused to be scared now. I needed a new plan. And I did come up with one. It was like the one I came up with when Kai kidnapped me and it proved to be very affective.

Going as fast as I could, I whirled around and picked up the girl by her arm. I ran over to Stefan, brought my leg back, and kicked him right where it hurts. He groaned in pain and doubled over, and I grabbed the girl by her arm. I quickly said my compulsion spell and told her, "You were attacked by a faceless person when you were coming back to your dorm. Forget everything that happened here." And then I pushed her out the door. "Go!" I said to her and she did as I asked.

"What the hell was that for?" Stefan groaned as he stood up.

"I wasn't going to let you hurt that girl," I said firmly. "I'd rather take the worst of it."

"What, you'd think I'd hurt you?" Stefan asked as he began walking over to me. "Because I can think of a lot more fun things that we could do."

Oh. My. God.

He was talking about sex.

Well, great. My humanity-less horny boyfriend was _exactly_ what I needed right now.

"Oh, don't even think about it," I said as I held a finger up.

"Come on Jules…" Stefan drawled with a smirk as he started to back me into a wall and I gulped as his eyes roamed my body in a way that sent shivers throughout my body, but I didn't let him know that. "Haven't you ever wondered what ripper sex is like?"

"No!" I blurted out. "Of course not!" I laughed nervously because it was little true. I did kind of wonder…

"You're lying." He said, seeing right through me. His smirk widened when I flushed a little. "You have wondered about it. Well, I can safely tell you that it's amazing."

I ignored his words. "Just leave me alone! I'm not going to have sex with you when you're like this! All evil and rippery!"

"What if I said 'please'?"

"It's still a no!" I finally decided to try and get away from him, but it was already too late. He had backed me into the wall and had his hands on either side of my head, trapping me there. "Don't do this, Stefan," I practically begged because while Ripper Stefan was a jerk, he was still really hot and I didn't know how much willpower I had.

Stefan shook his head. "I can't do that, Jules. I just can't." Before I could say anything else, he slammed his lips to mine hard.

I made a protesting noise against him and tried to push him away from me. It was no use as Stefan grabbed my arms, pinning them roughly against the wall, making me gasp against his lips. This gave him the opportunity to plunge his tongue into my mouth and he tangled our tongues together, pressing his body against mine.

Though my arms were pinned down, I tried to use my body to get him off of me. This did more harm than good as my body pressed against his and he let out a moan. I cursed to myself. Damnit. He knew that was cute.

I finally managed to push him off of me, and I took the opportunity to gulp in some air. Stefan waited to see what I'd do.

I grumbled under my breath as I said, "Oh, screw it," and grabbed his face to kiss him again.

I felt him smirk into my mouth and he deepened the kiss even more, sliding his hands down my back and resting them on my ass as he used them to roughly push me firmly against his body.

Somewhere along the way we lost our clothes, and we had fallen to the ground.

And it just went further from there.

* * *

Okay, Ripper sex really _was_ great.

But half of the reason that I did it was to get Stefan's guard down. We were laying down in front of the lit fireplace in my dorm with a sheet thrown over us. My body was still aching a little, but I was determined to set my plan into motion while Stefan was down.

I carefully looked over at Stefan and sighed in relief when I saw that he was still sleeping. His back was face to me, which was a plus. I cautiously pulled the sheet off of me so I wouldn't wake up Stefan. I grabbed pieces of my clothes from all over the room and silently shrugged them on, the entire time watching Stefan to make sure he wouldn't get up.

After I was dressed, I went over to my bed. I reached underneath and grabbed a little box I kept under there. It was filled with vervain. Both in liquid form and in plant form. I grabbed a small vial of vervain, put the box back under my bed, and made my way over to Stefan.

He looked so peaceful, sleeping like that, that I felt bad about what I was going to do. But if shoving this vervain down his throat and locking him up will get _my_ Stefan back, I was ready to break that peace.

I took a deep breath. I was going to do it really fast to get it over with. I shoved my hand forward to force Stefan's mouth open when Stefan's hand grabbed my wrist.

I couldn't help the scream that escaped my throat when Stefan's eyes snapped open and gave me a condescending look. He tilted his head to the side as I struggled to get out of his grasp. I was forced to drop the vervain, and he picked it up. He "tsked" as he shook his head at the vervain.

"I didn't think it'd _actually_ come to this," Stefan said. "Caroline suggested it, but I didn't really think I'd have to do it. Oh, well." He looked me deep in the eyes, and I felt the pull of compulsion as he said, "You're going to turn off your humanity."

My eyes widened in horror as I realized what he was doing, but I was powerless against it as the words tumbled out of my mouth. "I'm going to turn off my humanity."

"And you're going to act like a vampire without humanity," Stefan said.

"I'm going to act like a vampire without humanity," the words spilled.

Suddenly, there was a...switch, within me. It felt like there was a separate Juliet being pulled away from me. No matter how desperately I tried to reach out and grab her hands to keep her here, she got ripped out of my hands and swept away. Then it felt like there was something draining out of me and then there was...nothing.

"How do you feel?" Stefan asked.

"'Feel'?" I repeated. I lifted a shoulder as I said, "I feel nothing."

* * *

**TBC...**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH SHIT!**

**JULIET'S BEEN COMPELLED TO GET RID OF HER HUMANITY?**

**HOLY CRAP WHAT A TWIST!**

**Technically it's not OFF, but it's been repressed so that she's acting like she doesn't have any. **

**And pfffft, you guys were worried Stefan and Caroline were gonna sleep together.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED! ALMOST CAUGHT UP!**

* * *

_**I Could Never Love Like That...**_

**It's Juliet as you've never seen her before: humanity-less. Stripped of what makes Juliet **_**Juliet**_**, all bets are off as she joins Stefan and Caroline on wrecking havoc at Whitmore college. Two vampires, one powerful witch, and altogether three people without humanity is a spell for disaster. **


	40. I Never Could Love Like That

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I'm so excited for these last few episodes!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

After Caroline, Stefan, and I killed the two bartenders at the Scull Bar (it was quite entertaining actually; it was fun to watch my magic make a man asphyxiate) we took control over it. Which meant one thing: Karaoke.

The bar was filled with studying students, and, well, Caroline and I decided that they needed some study music.

As Caroline and I sang "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" on the stage, I ran my hand through my new hair. My hair _used _to fall all the way to my back and was a dark brown, but Caroline convinced me to chop it all off so that it was layered and to my shoulders and a nice blonde colour.

Caroline and I took turns as we sang, but we were interrupted by the sound of a whiny voice. "Hey! Aly and AJ!" Caroline and I stopped singing to look over at a girl who had a textbook open in front of her. "We're trying to study here!"

Caroline and I "tsked" as we looked over at each other. Caroline nodded her head at the girl, and I turned to where my boyfriend was, at the back of the room. I gave the girl a condescending smirk as I wagged my finger at her, and Stefan got the message.

"Where's the manager in this place?" The bitching whiner asked when Stefan got over to her.

"Someone ask for the manager?" He asked.

Caroline and I went back to singing as Stefan took the girl to the side. He compelled her to stay quiet and not to worry, then he made a large cut on her hand, letting her blood fall into a cup that Stefan could drink from.

Stefan had also compelled the rest of the patrons to pay attention to Caroline and I and to not be whining bitches either. It was nice to have an audience as I sang and danced. Why didn't I try to get rid of my humanity before? Geez, humanity was such a bothersome thing.

I let Caroline take the next song as I stepped off of the stage. I strolled over to where Stefan was, smirking when I got there. I grabbed the back of his head, tipping it back so I could lean over and give him a long kiss. I pulled back and looked over at the girl he was using as a coffee machine. "Does she taste good?" I asked.

Stefan shrugged a little as he wiped a little bit of blood off of the knife he used to make the wound and put it on his lips. "She's adequete. Want a taste?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'd really not like your leftovers. Especially one that looks like _that_."

Suddenly, the door opened, and in walked Matt and Tyler, who looked at the situation they'd just walked into precariously.

"What did we just walk into?" Tyler asked warily.

"Oh, look! It's the police officers in training. Are you guys here to arrest us?" Stefan mocked.

"Oh come on, you're giving them too much credit," I said as I gave the two of them a once over. "I doubt they could even stop an old man."

Stefan smirked at my joke as he turned to the girl he was draining. "You can go away now," He compelled, and she got out of her seat and scurried away.

I rolled my eyes at her. "She's scared. How cute," I said as I went and sat down in the seat she was previously occupying.

Stefan simply shrugged as he picked up the blood-filled mug and took a sip.

"What the hell did you do to your hair?" Matt asked me.

I shrugged slightly as I leaned back in my chair and put my feet on the table. "I dyed it. And cut it. Do you like it? Oh wait, it doesn't matter because I don't care if you do."

"Wait a second," Tyler said. "Did the words 'I don't care' really just come out of _Juliet Gilbert's _mouth?"

I nodded as I folded my hands on my lap. "Listen Lockwood, I knew you were dumb, but I didn't know you were deaf, too. Don't you miss werewolf hearing at times like these?"

Matt decided he had to change the subject. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We're just enjoying the music. You guys want next song?" Stefan asked.

"We should get out of here," Tyler suggested to Matt and as they turned around to run away, I made a swift gesture with my hand, and the front door shut and locked so that they couldn't escape. At the same time, Stefan vamp-sped around them to block them from the door.

"No, stay! Caroline and Juliet are taking requests," Stefan said.

* * *

After our last song, Caroline and I couldn't help but fall into a fit of laughter. I didn't know what it was about having no humanity, but it was seriously the best.

"Look, we listened to you sing, we clapped our hands- can we go now?" Tyler asked in an annoyed tone.

"Let's play 'Caroline and Juliet' Trivia!" Caroline suggested.

"Ooh, that sounds fun!" I said excitedly as we stepped off of the stage.

"I don't even know what that is," Tyler said.

"Oh, sure you do! You both dated me, and you're both best friends with Jules, which means you should know everything about us," Caroline said as we took a seat on the couch, mirroring each other's moves as we crossed one leg over the other. "So, we're gonna ask you some questions about us, and whoever answers them right lives."

"You're sick," Matt spat.

I put a hand to my forehead. "Oh, I don't have a fever. Do you think I have a fever, Care?"

Caroline put her hand to my forehead and compared with hers. "No, I think you're fine. Now, can we get back to the game?"

"Be my guest," I said as I gestured to Tyler and Matt.

"When is my birthday, Tyler?" Caroline asked.

"October 10th," Tyler sighed.

"Very good!" Caroline congratulated.

"My turn!" I said gleefully. "Who was my first kiss and why, Matt?"

"It was me," Matt answered. "It was middle school, and you hated the big deal everyone was making about it and you wanted it to be with someone you trusted."

"Correct!" I praised. "Looks like _someone_ does their homework."

"Matt, you're up again," Caroline said. "What is my favorite color?"

"That's a trick question. You don't have a favorite color," Matt answered.

Caroline paused for a second before she laughed and said, "Correct! Hahaha!"

"Tyler!" I said, turning to the former hybrid. "What is my birth name?"

"Eumelia Christos," Tyler answered, though it looked like he was trying not to scream. How pathetic.

"You're right," I said as I pointed at him.

"Okay, now a tiebreaker! Whoever answers first wins," Caroline said. "What was my mom's final memory before she died?"

"Ooh, that's a good one!" I said to Caroline as I put my hand on hers.

"I know, right?" Caroline agreed as we turned back to Matt and Tyler. "Well?" Caroline barked.

"How would we even begin to know that?" Tyler asked, frustrated.

"Oh, I'm sure I mentioned it at some point," Caroline said.

"No, you didn't," Matt insisted.

I "tsked". "What kind of friends are you that you don't remember?"

"Come on! Tick-tock, tick-tock. Judges are waiting for a final answer! What was my mom's final memory before she kicked the bucket?" Caroline repeated.

"Well, looks like, uh, Whitmore's gonna need a new philosophy TA," Stefan said as he returned from the back of the restaurant. He looked over at Caroline. "Hmm. Your mom was teaching you how to ride a bike."

"Bingo!" Caroline said excitedly.

I grinned as I stood up and walked over to Stefan. "Isn't my boyfriend a genius?" I cooed as I grabbed his face and gave him a long kiss.

"Stefan wins, which means you two lose," Caroline announced when Stefan and I separated. "Which isn't that bad, actually, because that just means we get to kill the both of you."

I took a coin out of my purse and tossed it to Caroline. "There you go," I said as she caught it. Stefan had sat down, and I was sitting in his lap. I looped my arm around his neck. "Let the magic coin decide who we kill."

"Heads, I kill Tyler, and tails, I kill Matt. Deal?" Caroline said to us.

"Okay, but then Stefan and I have to flip a coin to see who gets to kill whoever's left over," I pointed out as I looked at Stefan.

"We'll figure something out," Stefan assured me.

Caroline flipped the coin, caught it, and flipped it so that it was on the back of her hand and covered up with her other hand. She took a look at Matt and Tyler for a moment before walking over to Tyler and holding her hands out to show him the coin. Before she could uncover it, however, Tyler angrily shoved her hands out of the way.

"Oooh! Looks like somebody's angry," Stefan joked.

"Too bad he doesn't have his claws anymore," I fake pouted.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "He's a wolf. It's his resting face."

"And you wonder why everyone hates vampires? Look at you, messing with people for no reason! That's really brave," Tyler jabbed.

"Oh, does someone need to spend some time outside?" I said. I looked from Stefan to Caroline as I sat up a bit. "Let's see if this dog knows any tricks, shall we?"

Before Tyler could say anything, I used my magic to grab the back of his head and lowered it forward, like he was a real dog.

"Come on, Juliet, stop it!" Matt protested.

"Wanna fetch the stick, doggy?" I said, breaking off the wooden leg of one of the chairs and shoving it into Tyler's mouth. "Oh, that is quite the sight. At least it's a better use of your mouth."

"Jules, stop!" Matt said once more, and with a roll of my eyes, I put my hands up so that I wasn't controlling Tyler anymore.

Tyler fell forward, smashing his face on the floor. He recovered quickly and grabbed the leg that I had jammed into his mouth. He threw the piece at Stefan's head, but Stefan wrapped his arms around me and vamp sped to another spot in the room. He gently set me down as we turned to Tyler.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked him.

"Are you serious?" Stefan asked with a laugh.

"What's wrong, Stefan? Not used to people fighting back?" Tyler asked aggresively.

"No, actually, I'm just not used to people being this stupid," Stefan retorted, which made Caroline and I laugh.

"Alright, Ty, stop. He will kill you," Matt said to Tyler. He turned to Stefan. "Stefan, he's sorry."

Caroline laughed mockingly as she walked over to Tyler. "Haha! See that little vein in his forehead? I used to think it was so sexy, but now I'm pretty sure it's just all the blood leaving his brain."

"Screw you, Caroline," Tyler sneered. He went ovr and picked up another piece of the broken chair and pointed it threatening at Caroline and Stefan.

"Come on. Either of you, come at me!" Tyler said.

"Ty, stop!" Matt insisted.

"Hey, you don't see _me_ as a threat?" I asked. "Colour me insulted."

"Hey, Caroline? I will gladly kill him for you, but I know what a jerk he was during your relationship, so if you want..." Stefan said.

"I want," Caroline agreed gleefully. "Come on, Tyler. I dare you."

"Ty, stop," Matt said anxiously. "She will kill you."

"Get out of here, Matt," Was the last thing Tyler said before he lunged at Caroline.

Tyler tried to drive the stake into her abdomen, but Caroline vamp sped over to Matt, grabbed him, and used him as a human shielf, causing Tyler to accidently stab Matt in the stomach instead of Caroline.

"Nice going, Tyler!" Caroline chastited.

I expected myself to laugh and be praising Caroline at her cleverness, but I actually felt...devastation. I could feel it building up in my stomach, and I gasped loudly at Matt, who was now groaning and sputtering in pain as he pulled out the stake and stumbled to the ground.

Suddenly, it was like the switch had been flicked. My humanity switch, that is, but it was probably Stefan's compulsion finally wearing off. It just needed me to see Matt getting hurt because of something that I could have stopped to secure it.

"Matt!" I cried as I ran over to him. I could feel all my guilt over my actions from the past day (like killing the bartender) flooding over me, but I had to push it aside as I tried to deal with Matt.

I ripped off my jacket and pushed it on to Matt's wound. Tyler took over as I grasped Matt's face, covering him in his own blood.

"Hey, Matt, stay with us, okay?" I begged.

"Oh, come on," Caroline said. "Matt gets stabbed in the stomach and suddenly you're running back to him with your tail between your legs?"

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you?" I spat at her as I turned back to Matt. "Hey, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Tyler asked me as he turned back to Matt. "I'm sorry, Matt. Come one. You can't die on me, man."

"So, for those of us keeping score, if Matt dies, are you gonna start peeing on fire hydrants again?" Caroline asked Tyler.

"Ooh, that's a very good question. I mean, if all that rage made you think that you could take us both, maybe this is Nature's way of reconnecting you with your true self?" Stefan said.

"Shut up!" Tyler and I both barked.

Before Stefan or Caroline could say anything else, the door opened, and someone entered. We all turned to the door to see Damon walking in with an older looking lady walking behind him.

Caroline, Tyler and I were confused, but Stefan looked...stunned. Like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"It's my mother," Stefan answered, and my jaw literally dropped. Stefan's _mother_? I thought his mother was dead! Did this mean she was a vampire?

Damon caught sight of Matt, who was still bleeding profusely and sighed in exasperation before digging his car keys out of his jacket pocket. He tossed them to Tyler as he said, "Come on. Get him out of here. Here, take my car."

"Come here, man," Tyler said to Matt as he helped him stand up. He turned to me. "Jules, you coming?"

I looked back at the situation at hand. "You know, I think I'm gonna be needed here more. Go, get Matt some help. And I'm sorry for what I did."

"Forget about it," Tyler answered as he helped Matt out the door. I turned back to whatever was going on.

Caroline still looked confused at Stefan's mother's appearance, but Stefan was scowling.

"So... you have a mother?" Caroline asked.

"Everyone has a mother, Caroline," I said to her, and she gave me a scowl in response.

"I _had _a mom," Stefan corrected. "She died. So, whoever this is is Damon's lame attempt to get my humanity back on."

"Let me guess- then you get my humanity back on?" Caroline asked angrily. "I don't think so."

All of a sudden, Caroline ran to the makeshift stake Tyler made out of the furniture from before and staked Stefan in the back with it before she vamp sped to the door. "Sorry, Stefan. But thanks for the head start!" She said and then she was out the door.

She left Stefan groaning in pain on the floor while Damon, Stefan's mother, and I watched awkwardly.

Stefan's mother bit into her wrist and offered it to him, but he pushed her arm away.

It was silent for a couple of seconds before I stepped forward and knelt down next to Stefan, putting my hands on the stake. "Count of three," I said to him, and he dimly nodded. "One...two...three." I pulled out the stake, and he groaned in pain.

I helped Stefan get to his feet as he faced his mother properly.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Lily," She answered before turning to her son. "I'm sure you have many questions..."

"Well, the fact that you haven't aged a day answers the big one," Stefan said sarcastically.

"I'm a Ripper," Lily blurted out and a look of surprise crossed Stefan's face. "All the guilt you've carried for your lack of control? It's my fault, not yours. You get it from me. That's why I had to leave. I was so new to the bloodlust, I was afraid I would hurt you and your brother. The last time I saw you was the day of my funeral. You weren't imagining it. I was your angel. If only I'd been there to see you grow into a young man, to protect you from your father's temper. But, I was so ashamed of the things that I'd done, of what I'd become, and by the time I got my appetite under control and was coming back for you and your brother, I was hunted down and banished to a prison world by the Gemini. The one thing that helped you get through being trapped in that awful place was the hope of seeing my sons again," She walked over to Stefan, and I stepped aside and walked over to Damon.

She placed her hand on Stefan's cheek as she tried to keep her tears in. "I know there are no words that make up for me abandoning you, but we have all of eternity for me to try. Your angel has returned to you, and I will never leave you again."

Stefan closed his eyes for a long time and when he opened them again, there was something different in his eyes. And I knew what it was.

It was his humanity.

"Mother," Stefan breathed.

"My sweet, sweet boy," Lily said in the same tone as the two of them met for a hug.

I looked over to Damon, who was gently smiling at the reunion that was going on in front of him. I smiled at him as I leaned against his arm. "She looks like you," I said to him quietly.

* * *

Afterwards, Stefan, Damon, and I were left at the bar.

"How'd you find her?" Stefan asked.

"On the list of things to be worrying about, she's not one of them," Damon answered.

Stefan then turned to me and wrapped his arm around me, hugging me to his side. "I'm so sorry I did that to you. The humanity thing. It must have been horrible."

"It was," I answered. "But it wasn't _real_ no humanity. I forgive you." I leaned forward, and Stefan met me halfway for a kiss.

"That is sweet," Damon said sarcastically. "But you two _do_ know that it's your job to find Caroline, right?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Caroline has always been my job. I'll find her, don't you worry." I turned to Stefan. "Just promise me one thing," I said to him.

He nodded. "Anything."

I sighed as I tugged on the ends of my now short hair, looking into the window of the bar. "_Never_ let me cut or dye my hair ever again."

* * *

**TBC...**

**Hopefully the next chapter will follow soon!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Because...**_

**Damon confides in Juliet about the cure and asks her what life she would prefer-a human life, or a vampire life. Meanwhile, another attempt to stop a humanity-free Caroline doesn't go as planned.**


	41. Because

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry this episode took so long. It was very boring and I had no inspiration. But I'm forcing myself to sit down and write this and we'll see how well it turns out.

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"First step, convince her that my humanity is still off," Stefan started. "I'll tell her that our run in with my mother had no effect on me and I want to keep the party going."

"Oh, look at that. Saint Stefan has a plan," Damon said as he handed a drink to his brother.

"A very _sketchy_ plan that we don't even know will work," I interrupted.

Ever since mine and Stefan's humanity switch was flipped back on, we'd been trying to think of a plan to lure Caroline and get her to flip hers back on. So far, all of our plans had sucked.

"It will," Stefan insisted.

"Sold," Damon agreed.

"Do I need to remind you two that the last time Caroline thought that we were trying to flip her humantiy switch she went on a killing spree that _almost_ took my sister's life?" Elena asked.

"Well, she's not going to find out this time," Stefan said securely.

"He'll be convincing," Damon said.

"Look Elena, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get my girlfriend back," Ivan said. "Isn't that what happened with you and Damon when you flipped _your_ switch?"

"Fine!" Elena huffed. "Say she believes you. What makes you think she's gonna wanna see you?" She asked Stefan.

"The whole _reason_ she made me flip my humanity switch was because she wanted someone to kill people with _and_ hurt Jules," Stefan said. "If I convince her I'm up for killing people again she'll believe me."

"And if she doesn't?" I asked, walking over to him. "What if she tries to hurt you?"

"You guys will be there to stop her," Stefan said as he put his hands on my arms. "Trust me, Jules. This will work."

I huffed. "I'm sorry. I'm just naturally worried."

"Wait, am I missing something?" Elena asked. "Are you two back together?"

Stefan and I nodded. "Yeah. We got back together just before Liz passed," I explained.

"Finally!" Elena said. "I was getting so sick of watching you two mope around."

"So, have you done it yet?" Damon asked.

Stefan and I both immediately flushed. "Damon!" We said in horror and protest.

"Oh, they so _have_," Damon said as he sipped from his glass.

"Oh," Elena said awkwardly.

"Okay, can we get off the topic of our sister's sex life?" Ivan asked as he gestured to Elena. "We have a bigger problem at hand."

"Right, thank you," Stefan said, happy to get the heat off of us.

"So what do we do when we earn her trust?" Damon asled.

"We drain her of her blood, make her weak, and then bombard her with everything she used to care about," Stefan answered. "Memories of who she was, her friendships, her Mom. Did you bring it?" Stefan asked Elena.

"Yeah!" Elena said as she reached into her bag. She pulled out a letter.

"What is that?" Damon asked as Elena handed Stefan the letter.

"Caroline got rid of everything from her former life. Her Mom had sent this letter intending for it to arrive after she died which, it did, but Caroline had already flipped her switch."

"It could work," Stefan said.

"Fine," Damon said. "Unless you'd rather have sexy Juliet time."

"Oh my God," I hissed. "Damon, you're disgusting."

"Come on!" Damon said as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me to his side as I grimaced. "Brothers are _supposed_ to tease their little sisters. Right, Ivan?"

"Not like that," Ivan grunted. "Are we ready to do this?"

"We're ready," Stefan said.

* * *

Three days later, we tracked down Caroline and Stefan lured her to a bed and breakfast, where we enacted "Operation Cure Caroline of Being a Bitch".

Damon picked the name. I _knew_ I should have fought harder to pick the name.

Stefan and Caroline were currently trapped in one of the bed and breakfast rooms, where the next part of the plan would begin. We'd start the torturing. I just hoped I wouldn't have to get violent with Caroline like I did with Elena when we tried flipping her switch. Hey, Elena had tried to kill me and I was feeling a little bitter, cut me a little slack.

Since Jo and Alaric were currently on Stefan and Caroline duty, Damon invited me to go to lunch with him. Yeah, I was very confused too, but hey, he was paying.

I felt like there was something more to this lunch thing, so I specifically picked an expensive restaurant. If Damon was desperate for something, he'd stay and pay, which was what I would need to know that he needed something from me. If he didn't need something from me, then he'd just take me to McDonalds or not pay for lunch at all.

Once we got there, I ordered a rather pricey item off the menu and when Damon didn't even flinch, I knew he needed something from me.

I put my elbow on the table and put my chin in my hand. "What do you want from me?"

"What?" Damon asked.

"Damon, I convinced you to go to one of the more expensive restaurants on Whitmore campus, I picked a salad that cost almost twenty bucks, and you didn't even bat an eye. You need something from me. What do you want?"

"Can't I just have lunch with one of my friends?" Damon asked and when I gave him a "you're not fooling me" look, he gave up. "Okay fine, I _do_ need something from you. But it's not like a physical thing. I need your opinion."

"Since when has my opinion ever mattered to you?" I asked.

Damon made a face as if he was trying to remember when that was. "Never," He finally answered. "But I think this opinion would matter to me now."

"Okay, fine, but only because you paid for a salad that cost twenty dollars."

"Good," Damon said. "So, I have this friend. And he got this thing from another friend, and now my friend is having trouble deciding if he wants to give his girlfriend the thing that his other friend had given him to give to his girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes at the "I have a friend" line. First off, Damon didn't have many friends. Second off, everyone knows that when you say it's a friend, you mean yourself. "What is this 'thing'?" I asked. "A flower? An STD? You've gotta be more specific."

Damon gave me a look, but got a look of hesitation on his face as he struggled with the words. "I...have...the Cure, for vampirism. And I don't know if I should give it to Elena or not."

I blinked. Once. Twice. Then...

"_WHAT_?" I practically screamed. I got some dirty looks from the other people in the restaurant. I refrained from showing them my middle finger and instead turned to Damon. I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Where the hell did you get the Cure? I thought Katherine took it last year!"

"She did, but when Bonnie was in the Prison World, apparently there was another copy of it," Damon explained. "She gave it to me to give to Elena."

"And have you?" I asked.

"Well, not yet," He said.

I rolled my eyes. I opened my mouth to yell at him, but the waiter returned with our food. Since I opted for a caesar salad, Damon went for a burger and fries. The waiter put our ordered food in front of us, and I waited till he was gone. Then, I turned back to him. "Damon! Ever since Elena turned into a vampire, she's wanted to be a human. Why are you keeping the Cure from her?"

Damon hesitated before saying, "That is not what we're here to discuss today. I haven't even asked you for your opinion yet."

"Well, if the question is 'Should I give my girlfriend the one thing that would make her the happiest person in the world' then my answer is yes," I said.

"See, _that's_ one of the opinions that I don't care about," Damon gruffed. "And that's not the question. My question is this: would you want to be a vampire, or a human?"

The question struck me kinda oddly. "Why are you asking that question?"

"I just figured now that you and Stefan are back together, it was something that you've wondered," Damon said. "I mean, a vampire-human relationship is very hard. Would you ever want to make it simple and turn it into a vampire-vampire relationship?"

I was stumped. I didn't know how to respond. I mean, sure, I'd thought about being a vampire, but it wasn't something that I saw doing so soon. "I...don't know," I said slowly. "I mean, Stefan's never pressured me to _be _a vampire or anything. It's not really something we've discussed."

"But what about _you_?" Damon pressed. "Would you want to stay human or be a vampire?"

"The only reason I'd be a vampire is to be with Stefan forever," I said. "But to be honest I'd have to be _sure_ that Stefan wanted to be with me forever. Once I became a vampire I could never go back. That's a life changing thing. I love being a human. I have the choice to grow up and have babies. That's what I want. Babies."

"So you _want_ to stay a human?" Damon asked.

"For now, yes," I answered. My face went a little soft as I said, "But Damon, I'm _not Elena_. We both want different things out of life. I want to be a human for a while before becoming a vampire. Elena? She just wants to be a human." I moved my hand so that it was on top of Damon's and gave him a gentle smile. "Don't deny her this. If you truly love Elena, you'll do whatever it takes to make her happy. That's what Stefan's done for me and will continue to do for me, and what I'll do to him."

Damon got a far away look on his face as he tried to give me a smile. "I _do_ love her, I just..."

"Don't want to lose her?" I asked, and Damon's head snapped over at me. "Listen to me Damon: Elena loves you. And she'll love you as a vampire _and_ as a human. And if she falls out of love with you and in love with Stefan as a human, well, I'll rip her eyes out and hand deliver her back to you."

That made Damon laugh, which was what I was going for. "Did you value what I have to say?"

Damon smirked as he said, "I think so. There's a first time for everything, right?"

I had to laugh, too. "Right. Now, let's eat this very expensive lunch before it's my turn for Stefan and Caroline duty."

"I can't believe I'm paying for a twenty dollar salad," Damon grumbled as we dug into our lunches.

* * *

I met Elena at the bed and breakfast after my lunch with Damon, and unfortunately, we walked in on Jo and Alaric making out.

"Oh!" Elena and I both said at the same time as we averted our gaze. Alaric and Jo broke apart as we stood there awkwardly.

"Jules, Elena!" Alaric said. "Hey."

"We were just keeping a really close eye on your friends," Jo attempted.

"Really? 'Cause last time I checked Stefan and Caroline aren't in Alaric's mouth," I said, and Elena jabbed me hard in the side as she said a scolding, "Jules!"

She turned back to the lovebirds. "Good news! Your shift is over, and we're here to relieve you."

"In that case, I'm just gonna head to the honeymoon suite," Jo said as she awkwardly scurried out of the room.

"Umm," Alaric said as he stood up, clearing his throat. "The supplies are right here, cards are right there in case you get bored."

"Supplies, cards, got it," Elena said.

"Yeah great, so we'll see you in a few hours," Alaric confirmed as he went to leave.

"Ric?" I called out, and he turned around. "It's good to see you happy for a change."

Alaric smiled. "Thanks. Same to you, Jules. Though I'd abandon the blonde hair."

I gave him a look as I tugged on the ends of my hair. I _had_ to get my hands on a box of brown hair dye and fix this mess.

Suddenly, a loud girlish groan came from inside the room, and Alaric pointed at the door. "I think they're awake, so have fun with that." And with that, Alaric left.

"Knock knock," Elena called out to them.

I gave her a look. "You don't have to be so polite, you know." I raised my voice. "You crazy ass bitches ready to give up?" I called out.

"Elena and Jules," I could hear Caroline groan. "Let me guess: Humanity Police was your idea."

Elena lifted up the little slider so we could look into the room. "We really want you back, Caroline," Elena said to her.

"Remember that time Jeremy died and you turned off your humanity and almost killed your own sister?" Caroline challenged. "I forgot Stefan, was that before or after she killed some random waitress for no reason?"

"I think it was before," Stefan answered. I had to admit, he played no humanity well.

Caroline chuckled condescendingly. "You see, Stefan and I are finding it just a little ironic that you think you're qualified to tell us how to deal with the death of a loved one."

"I'm not here to preach to you, Caroline," Elena explained. "I just came to show you this." Elena held up the letter that Liz had sent and poked it through the bars. "A letter from your Mom, arrived at our dorm just a few days after her funeral. Apparently there was something that she wanted to tell you."

While Elena was speaking, Stefan got up and came over to the bars. He took the letter out of Elena's hands and walked over to Caroline ."Does this look real to you?"

"Her impeccably perfect handwriting? Yep," Caroline answered. "I remember when she taught me how to write cursive." We hoped that it would spark something in her, but apparently this wasn't the case. "So, what? Am I supposed to read this and snap back to sad, pathetic, motherless Caroline?"

"Caroline, look at yourself," I said. What I would say next was harsh, but I didn't care about her feelings anymore. I mean, since she no longer had them, why should I care? "You _are_ sad, pathetic, motherless Caroline."

Caroline pouted. "What happened to the 'Always show compassion' act?" She asked, then she turned to Stefan. "Burn it."

I think all of our hearts stopped. "What?" Stefan asked.

"Did I say 'stand there and look stupid? No. I said, 'Burn. It.'," Caroline said sternly.

As a last ditch effort, Stefan said, "Well, maybe I should read it first."

"Why do you care?" Caroline asked a little suspiciously.

"I mean, what happens if you get your humanity back and you hate me for destroying the last thing your Mom wanted to say to you?" Stefan asked.

"Did those words just seriously come out of your mouth?" Caroline asked. She reached over and grabbed the matches that were on the table and quickly lit one. "Burn it. Now!"

"Stefan, don't!" I said desperately as I helplessly watched Stefan light the letter on fire, having no choice.

"Sorry, Jules," Stefan said as he let the letter drop to the table. "If you want to bring our humanity back, you're gonna have to try a lot harder than that."

* * *

I growled as I banged my head against the wall. I was sitting against the wall that was next to the door. Damon had showed up and said that he wanted to talk to Elena privately, so I have them their privacy. I just hoped that Damon was planning on telling Elena about the Cure.

Ivan showed up and sat down next to me. "They cracked yet?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm ready to just light them on fire and hopefully scare them into turning it back on."

"That's not gonna work!" Caroline sluggishly called out.

"Why don't we try it out and see?" I called gruffly back.

"Hey, as much as I want Caroline's humanity back, I don't want to hurt her," Ivan said.

I gave him a look. "No offence, brother, but you've never dealt with no humanity. Sometimes pain is the way to go."

Elena and Damon showed up, so Ivan and I stood up as Damon slid the little slider up. "Bored yet?" He asked.

"Go away, Damon," Caroline said.

"I brought you some real light reading from the true crime section," Damon said as he opened a case file of all the victims that Caroline had killed. He slid them through the door as he asked, "Curious: Which one of you idiots attacked a stadium security guard and stuffed him into a laundry cart?"

"That would've been me," Caroline said.

"Nice technique," Damon mock praised. "Although it's probably good that your mom's gone. That would have been one hell of a cover up."

"Why are you only picking on me?" Caroline asked. "Stefan's in here too. Annoy him."

"Because Stefan didn't snap a bar-back clavicle in half," Damon answered. You know, it's really quite sad actually. I could see Liz right now, calling the parents, breaking the news, wondering where she went wrong as a mother."

"She got cancer, Damon," Caroline said. "That is where she went wrong."

"Oh, blame her," Damon mocked. "Healthy attitude."

"You know what? You're right," Caroline said. "I should really just be more like you and Elena, just play make-belief about the future that I can't have, because _that's _healthy. Maybe I'll pretend I can actually give birth to babies and have a normal family, and I can get a job without having to move and start over every five years. I can operate on my patients without wanting to feed on them."

The conversation became obviously uncomfortable not just for Damon and Elena, but for Ivan and I, too. "You're a real bitch when you're hungry."

"No, she's just a real bitch in general," I took a stab.

"I'm curious, Damon," Caroline started. "How does it feel to know that you can't give the someone the life that they really want?"

"Shut up, Caroline!" Elena said angrily.

Quite satisfied with herself, Caroline said, "I'm just stating the facts, Elena. You didn't want this life. You can play fantasy-land all you want, but in this life, the one where you're a vampire, you'll always be settling, and it's just so sad."

"I can't listen to this," Elena said as she turned to walk away.

"Elena," Ivan, Damon, and I all tried.

"I don't want to hear it, okay?" Elena practically boomed as she stormed away.

Damon gave Caroline a hard glare before shutting the window closed.

"It's the same with you, Jules," Caroline called out. It turned out, she wasn't quite satisfied after all.

I knew I shouldn't have, but I opened the window again anyway. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She gestured between me and Stefan. "You made the stupidest decision, falling in love with a vampire while you're only a human. What kind of life can you two actually have? Stefan will stay young and you'll grow old and get ugly."

"Caroline..." I started, but she cut me off.

"That's not all," Caroline said. "I know you, Juliet Gilbert. And the one thing that you want the most in this world is babies. You just want to get yourself knocked up and raise kids of your own. Well, how are you gonna do that if Stefan can't reproduce? You can't adopt either, imagine having to explain to the management and your own kids why your husband and their daddy doesn't age. Face it, Jules. You've driven yourself into a hole that you can't dig yourself out of."

Throughout Caroline's little speech, Stefan and mine's faces began dropping dramatically. Stefan allowed himself to do it since Caroline's back was to him, but it still really hurt to see him like that. I had to let him know that I didn't _need_ those things to be happy, but I couldn't do that without exposing Stefan's emotions. And I knew I shouldn't let Caroline's words effect me, but I could feel my throat getting a little choked up and I blinked my tears back, hard. I just thrusted my hand out, and Caroline went flying into the wall behind her. I grinned in triumph as she coughed and grunted, trying to pull whatever strength was left in her up.

"Just remember, Caroline," I said. "Vampires need physical contact to cause harm." I lifted my pointer finger. "Witches don't."

With that, I shut the window and turned on my heel, stalking off. I hated just leaving Stefan in there by himself, but I could feel my tears slipping down my cheeks. I didn't want him to see me cry.

I felt a hand on my arm, and I looked over my shoulder to see Ivan. I immediately reached forward and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me as he hugged me to his chest. "Caroline didn't mean those things," Ivan said. "She was just saying it to make you feel bad."

I shook my head. "No, she really meant them, Ivan. No humanity means that you don't care what you say and you have no reason to lie. Caroline's probably always meant that but never had the courage to say it because she didn't want to hurt my feelings. And now she doesn't care about my feelings." I pulled back. "She's right, though. What kind of life can Stefan and I expect to have? I want babies, he can't have them. I'll age, he won't."

Ivan pulled back and put his hands on my shoulders. "Do you love Stefan?"

I nodded automatically. "Of course I do."

"Then you'll make it work," Ivan said. "You'll make it work because you love each other."

I allowed Ivan a small smile as we met for another hug. I pulled back as I asked, "Are you ready for Plan B?"

He nodded. "Yup."

* * *

Stefan sat on the side of the bed as he looked through the crime files. Caroline was passed out on the bed beside him.

"Ugh. It's like a million degrees in here," Caroline whined.

"Tell me about it," Stefan said as he closed the file.

"He speaks," Caroline said as she sat up. "You were so quiet earlier when I was tearing into Elena and Jules. I was scared you were feeling sad for them." She stood up and walked over to Stefan.

"No. It was just hard to get a word in, that's all," He said.

Caroline stripped off her jacket and sighed in relief. "Ohh. Much better. I highly recommend it," She said, tossing her jacket to Stefan.

"I'm good. Thank you," Stefan said.

Then, Caroline got an idea. She suspected that Stefan had flipped his switch back on, and this little experiment would confirm it. "Are you sure? Because I can give you a hand if you want." She stood in front of Stefan and tried to remove his jacket. However, Stefan grabbed her wrists and stopped her.

"I said I'm good," He said sternly.

"I heard you," Caroline huffed angrily. "You know what else I hear?" She leaned forward towards him as Stefan got an uncomfortable look on his face. "Your heart. And it's racing." She moved in closer to him as though she was about to kiss him and whispered, "Am I making you nervous?"

Stefan looked even more uncomfortable as he tried to pull away. "Caroline..."

"When did you flip it back?" The blonde asked angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan tried denying.

"Your humanity's been back on this whole time, hasn't it? Damon, Elena and Jules knew where to find us because you told them, and that's why they were only picking on me," Caroline deduced.

"You must be having heatstroke," Stefan tried to play off.

"How dumb do you think I am, Stefan?" Caroline asked. "You haven't had any in a few days and here I am, all ready for the taking. No humanity vampires don't care about who they sleep with. You're back together with Jules and feel again which is why you don't want to sleep with me, isn't it?" Caroline seductively wrapped her jacket around his neck.

"Please. Stop," Stefan pleaded.

"Relax, Stefan. I don't really feel like kissing anymore."

Caroline quickly yanked on the sleeves of her jacket, twisting it so that it snapped his neck. Stefan grunted in pain before he fell unconscious onto the bed. Caroline sighed and smiled before she walked toward the door. She summoned up all the strength she had and started violently kicking the door, which, like the windows, was reinforced with iron bars. On the third try, she kicked the door right off the hinges and walked through the threshold and down the hall.

She got her hands on a car and began driving down a dark, quiet road, when a police cruiser turned on their lights and siren behind her. She smiled gleefully at the prospect of finally drinking blood. "Oh, thank God. Snack time."

Caroline pulled over and waited as the officer got out of the cruiser with gun and flashlight in hand as they approached the car. The cop pointed the gun directly at Caroline as she approached the window. Caroline turned with a smile at first but it disappeared to complete shock when she saw that her mother was the officer who has pulled her over.

Liz gave Caroline an angry look. "Step out of the car."

"Mom, what are you..." Caroline whispered.

"I said get out of the car," Liz demanded.

Confused, Caroline got out of the car, and went toward her mother, but Liz immediately turned her around and pushed her roughly against her own car. "You're under arrest for the murders of Chris Benton, Jason Hughes..." Liz started angrily.

"Mom, it's me! It's Caroline!" Caroline tried pleading with her mother.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. My daughter's kind, compassionate. She looks after those in need," Liz disputed.

Caroline shook her head desperately. "You're not real. You can't be real!"

"I raised my daughter to be a good person," Liz continued.

Fed up, Caroline shouted, "Stop!" She spun around to face Liz. "I know what you're doing."

"And she knows how hurt I would be to see her this way," Liz went on.

"Shut up!" Caroline demanded. "Stop! You can't be here!"

"You are not my daughter!" Liz shouted.

"I know what you're doing to me, Stefan!" Caroline said. "My Mom died. She's dead. This isn't real."

Proving her point, Caroline reached forward and grabbed Liz's neck and started to choke her mother.

* * *

Caroline gasped awake in bed to find that Ivan was sitting above her, Stefan no where in sight. "_Ivan_?" She breathed in confusion.

"Vampires aren't the only ones who can give someone visions," Caroline's ex-boyfriend explained. "Come on, it's working. The pain you're feeling, let it in."

"Starve me, bleed me out, put visions in my head?" Caroline shakily stood up but managed to stand on her feet. "That was your plan all along?"

"We're done playing this game, Caroline," Ivan said sternly. "It's time for you to come back now."

"Just get away from me," Caroline demanded.

"Listen, I need you to see something," Ivan said as he held his hand out to her. "I just need you to take my hand."

"Ugh!" Caroline shouted. She broke a piece of the shutter off the window and pointed it at Ivan. "I said get away from me."

"Caroline, I can help you," Ivan said. "I need you to let me help you."

Caroline was avoiding Ivan's gaze, so he said sternly, "Look at me, Caroline. Look at me in the eye."

Reluctantly, Caroline looked Ivan in the eyes. She was surprised to see the intense look on his face. "I promised you once that I wouldn't let you fall. I intend on keeping that promise, if you'll just let me."

Caroline sighed, but she lowered the stake and reached out as if she was going to take his hand. He nodded reassuringly, and she smiled before she quickly jammed the broken shutter in his stomach. Ivan groaned and shuddered in pain at a piece of wood being shoved into his stomach. Now he knew how Jules felt when she was stabbed with a piece of wood.

"I don't want your help, Ivan," Caroline said. "I just want you to die."

The smell of Ivan's blood became too much for Caroline, and she let her face vamp out as she bared her fangs. Keeping the stake in Ivan's stomach, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into his jugular.

"Caroline..." Ivan groaned, but Caroline ignored him.

Caroline was draining Ivan, and he could only think of one way to stop her. He grabbed a hold of Caroline's hand, which was wrapped around the makeshift stake, and used his magic to show her a memory. When Caroline started to see the memory, she took a pause from eating Ivan.

* * *

_Ivan was inside the Forbes' living room. He looked down at an envelope sitting on the table- the same envelope that Caroline had Stefan burn earlier in the episode. Liz Forbes came down the stairs with a sewing kit in hand._

_ "Okay. Needle and thread, as requested," Liz reported. "Do I want to know why you suddenly decided to take up sewing?"_

_ Ivan laughed. "Care and I spent the whole day in the woods trying to find a teddy bear, and now that she has found it and dug it up, she wants to fix it. She gets very focused when she puts her mind to something."_

_ Liz chuckled. "You should have seen her in high school, Ivan. She organized everything, especially since she thought that no one could do a job better than her."_

_ Ivan laughed as Liz handed him the box._

* * *

Caroline was brought out of the memory because Ivan had started to lose focus, due to the fact that he was now bleeding freely from two open wounds on his body.

"What the hell is this?" Caroline gasped in surprise.

"It's part of my memories," Ivan groaned, pressing his hand to his neck wound and keeping his other hand on the stake in his stomach. "It's a _real_ memory."

Caroline grabbed Ivan roughly so that she could look into his thoughts again and finish the memory.

* * *

_Ivan took the sewing kit from Liz. "Thanks. You really should have been there to see Caroline's face when Ms. Cuddles broke. It was sad but cute at the same time."_

_ "You're a good boyfriend to her, Ivan," Liz said. "Probably the best she's ever had. All I've seen you do is support her. Whatever she does, you respect her decision, and that's all I've always wanted for her, and what she's always wanted for herself." _

_ Ivan smiled, thinking about how lucky he had gotten. "I love her, Liz. I love her more than I've loved anyone else."_

_ Liz's face softened at Ivan's declaration of his love for her daughter. "You do?"_

_ He nodded. "I do. I just hope someday she can love me in the same way."_

_ "She will," Liz assured him. "She's gonna need someone when I die, and I'm glad that it's you, Ivan."_

_ "I'm happy I can get your blessing," Ivan said. He looked over his shoulder at the envelope. "Hey, do you need me to mail that out for you?"_

_ "Oh. No, thanks. I'm still working on it," Liz declined as she picked the letter up. "I'll mail it out tomorrow. I have an idea of what I want to say. It's just... I guess I want it to be perfect."_

_ Ivan's face softened. "You know, Liz, I've never had a mother, but I think you'd be the type of Mom I'd want. You're a great mother."_

_ Liz smiled. "I hope so."_

* * *

The memory faded away, and they both returned to the present, where Ivan was starting to seriously deteriorate from the small part of the stake that was rubbing against his heart. Caroline quickly realized what was happening and pulled the stake out. Ivan groaned in pain as the stake came out, and he slipped down to the floor as his wound began bleeding faster. Caroline stepped away from him, looking emotional.

"I want to see the rest," Caroline demanded, but Ivan was getting weak from blood loss. His face was turning white as Caroline got impatient. She leaned over and grabbed Ivan as she forcibly sat him up and kept a hold of him to see the rest. Ivan gasped in even more obvious pain, but Caroline ignored him. "Let me see her!"

* * *

_ Ivan he stepped off of the porch of the Forbes house. He gave Liz a smile as he waved goodbye to her. Liz smiled back at him and closed the door, just as Caroline rushed up the porch steps to see her mother._

_ "Wait, wait. Mom! Mom! It's me! It's Caroline!" Caroline said emotionally as she knocked on the door. "Just come outside. I want to talk to you."_

_ However, Caroline's mother just walked away, unable to see or hear her, and since Ivan had left, there was no more of the memory for Caroline to see._

_ "I want to read your letter!" Caroline said desperately. "Please. Mommy!" She began frantically knocking on the door. "Mom, please. Come back!" Tears began slipping down her face as she turned around to the direction that Ivan had walked away in. She let out a loud sob as she begged, "Make her come back!"_

* * *

Ivan and Caroline were brought back out of the memory. She began pleading with Ivan, who looked at her sadly, despite the pain he was in. "...I'm sorry, I can't," Ivan answered her demand.

Caroline burst into tears. "No. Just show me the vision again, okay? I... I want to see my Mom, Ivan. I... I need to know what she said in that letter."

"We gave you the letter already, Caroline," Ivan explained gently to her.

Caroline eventually realized what she had done and frantically rushed over to the ashtray, only to find that the letter had been completely burned. "No. No. No!" She sobbed as she tried picking through the ashes. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she turned to face Ivan. "What do you think she wanted to tell me?"

Ivan struggled, but he managed to get to his feet, keeping both hands pressed to his stomach. Blood was smeared everywhere and there was a lot of pain, but Ivan was more concerned about Caroline, not himself. "Whatever she wanted to say, Caroline, we'll never know now," He said. "It's lost forever."

"I did this," Caroline choked. "This is all my fault." She dropped onto her knees on the floor as emotions began swimming back into her entire body. "No. I tried to kill you! I tried to kill Jules!"

Ivan dropped to his knees next to Caroline as he put a hand on top of Caroline's. "It's okay, Caroline. I'm here for you, it's okay."

"I'm so sorry, Ivan," Caroline sobbed. "I ruined everything. I ruined everything."

* * *

Ivan desperately drank blood from Stefan's wrist as I gave him a hard glare. "I can't believe I let you convince me not to intervene if Caroline tried to hurt you! You're practically dead!"

"But I'm not," Ivan retorted as he took a small break from drinking Stefan's blood.

"How is she?" Alaric asked as he stood over us.

"Not good," Ivan answered as he looked back at the room.

"Then why aren't you in there with her?" Jo asked.

"Can't you see Ivan desperately drinking from my wrist?" Stefan asked as he pulled his hand away from Ivan, who now looked completely healed, but he was still covered in blood.

"Okay, but her humanity is back on, she won't want to hurt him," Alaric countered.

"I don't think she wants to see me right now," Ivan said. He looked over at me. "You need to go in there."

"Me?" I asked in confusion.

He gave me a look. "You've said it yourself that Caroline loves you more than anyone in the world. If she needs anyone right now, she needs you."

I looked over at Stefan. "Think it's safe?"

Stefan nodded. "If I need to get you out of there, I will."

I took a deep breath, turned around, and walked over to the jail cell. I peeked through the doorway, and Caroline was sitting on the bed, where she was looking through the police files and photos regarding the people she killed over the past few days. She sighed defeatedly, visibly overwhelmed with emotions about the acts she'd committed. She closed the files and stood to her feet as she walked over to the ashtray, still full of the ashes of the letter she never got to read. She silently began crying again, and I took this moment to intervene.

"Hey, Care," I said gently.

She looked over at me. "Hi, Jules."

"Care..." I tried.

"Don't..." Caroline whispered. "Just don't."

"I just wanted to know if you were okay," I said to her.

She scoffed in disbelief. "How can I be okay after everything that I ruined?"

I wanted to say something, but I highly doubted that anything could make her feel better. ") Just don't worry about me. I'm not gonna turn it off again, but you...what I did to you and Stefan... and Ivan..." She got a far away look on her face, then looked up at me clearly. "Do you know that he's in love with me? He _loves_ me. I heard him say it to my Mom."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "No, I didn't. That's...nice."

She shook her head as she said, "I just really need to get out of here." Caroline avoided my gaze as she walked past me quickly, and I felt her brush against my arm as she walked away. I couldn't bring myself to watch her walk away.

* * *

"I'd say today was eventful," I said to Stefan as he was driving us back to my dorm, where Stefan was going to be spending the night.

"Yeah, I'll say," Stefan agreed. He came to a stop in front of the building, and we both stepped out of the car. "Hey, what Caroline said today was true, wasn't it?" Stefan asked.

My heart began pounding because I knew what he was talking about, but I tried to play it off. "What are you talking about?"

Stefan gave me a look as we began walking over to my room. "What she said about our relationship. We could never work because you want babies."

"I don't _need_ babies to be happy," I insisted. "Sure, babies are great, but I can live without them."

I knew he was still doubting me, so I cut him off as I spun around and stood in front of him. "Seriously, Stefan. I don't need kids to be happy. The only thing that I need to be happy is you." I put my arms around his neck.

"You know if I could give you babies, I would, right?" Stefan asked.

I nodded as I gave him a smile. "Of course I do. I know you'd give me anything."

Stefan suddenly got a look of determination on his face. "And I still want to. I want you to have a baby."

My heart dropped. "Um, what?"

"I...want you...to have...a baby," He said slowly.

I felt like my brain had stopped working. "But...how am I supposed to do that?"

"Well, we get someone to be a sperm donor," Stefan thought.

I couldn't help but look at him in disbelief. "You really want me to have a baby?"

He took a hold of my hands and held them to his chest. "I want _us_ to have a baby."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Now _you_ want to have a babY?"

"Well, I wouldn't make you raise it alone," Stefan said as if it were obvious.

"And you're ready to drop everything and be a parent?" I asked. "You're ready to deal with the challenges of me being a human mother and you being a vampire father? What we'll have to tell our baby about his parents?"

"As long as you're the Mommy and I'm the Daddy, I'm ready for anything," Stefan insisted. "We can deal with anything."

"But do you just want to do this because I want this?" I asked him. I was seriously doubting this whole "baby" thing. It sounded too good to be true to me. Like a fantasy world that another Juliet lives in, where she and a Human Stefan could live somewhere outside of supernatural and the crazy of Mystic Falls and have a family.

"I don't want you to be denied anything you want," Stefan said. "I don't want you to be the only one giving in our relationship. I feel like I've put you through so much this past year, it's the least I can do to give you a baby. Besides, I love babies! I'm ready to drop everything and paint fences in the suburbs and go to PTA meetings and make dinner." I couldn't help but laugh at his words, and he laughed along with me. "As long as I'm with you, I'm ready to do anything."

My heart pounded loudly as I said, "So, we're really going to have a baby?"

"Well, I think you should do your schooling first," Stefan said. "Do whatever you want before you become a parent, like normal people do. And then we can tackle the next stage of our relationship."

Happy tears brimmed my eyes as I happily choked, "We're going to have a baby!"

"We're going to have a baby," Stefan repeated, and we both met for a kiss before we hugged each other tightly.

Today truly _was_ eventful.

* * *

**TBC...**

**I loved the Ivan and Caroline scene! Who else did?**

**ALMOST CAUGHT UP!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**I'd Leave My Happy Home For You...**_

**Juliet is ready to party when Jo's bachelorette party rolls around, but the situation turns serious when Elena asks Juliet, Bonnie, and Jo advice on the offer that Damon made her regarding the cure, and Juliet is unsure if she wants to tell her sister the truth, or just what she wants to hear. **


	42. I'd Leave My Happy Home For You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I just own my OC, Juilet Jordan Gilbert, and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Couple more chapters to go!

I wasn't originally planning on updating today but Scooter127's little writing snippets of Juliet they wrote has inspired me! Their stuff is really great, I can't wait to share it with you guys!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Jo was getting married, and there was one marriage "rite of passage" that must happen when a girl gets married.

Her bachelorette party.

Elena, Bonnie, and I hired a stripper and snuck into Whitmore hospital, where the stripper "Officer Baker" went in for the job.

"Dr. Loughlin?" Officer Baker asked.

"Yes?" Jo asked, obviously confused.

"I'm Officer Baker. Is there somewhere private we can speak?" He asked.

"...Sure," Jo said.

Sticking to the shadows, we followed them to an empty hospital room nearby.

"What's this about?" Jo asked.

"I'm here regarding Professor Saltzman. I understand you two are engaged to be married?" Officer Baker said.

"Is something wrong?" Jo asked.

Officer Baker reached for his night stick on his belt and took it out as he hit a button on it that made it light up before setting it on a patient table. "Nope! Everything is just right."

I pressed the button on our boombox and "Ladies Night" started to play as Officer Baker ripped open his shirt and started to gyrate his hips.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wow!" Jo said alarmed, and that's when Elena, Bonnie and I appeared.

"SURPRISE!" We screamed.

Jo looked relieved and alarmed but was laughing all the same. "Oh! Oh, my God. No. I don't think so!"

The girls and I ignored her as we started dancing behind the stripper, and Jo finally burst into a full on laugh as she said, "No, no, no, this can't be happening."

I shimmied my hips while holding the boombox as Elena and Bonnie threw confetti everywhere. We then sat Jo down on a chair and put a "Bachelorette" tiara on her head, and I put the boombox down to help throw strings of Mardi Gras beads around her neck. After a moment, Jo relented and started to get into it, and danced in her seat while the stripper gave her a lap dance.

"Happy bachelorette!" Elena, Bonnie, and I cheered.

* * *

We moved the party to the a diner (unfortunately, without the stripper) which was completely empty save for us, courtesy of Elena. We laughed and joked as we gorged ourselves on huge hamburgers and french fries. At first, Jo didn't seem interested in a bachelorette party (we asked her if she wanted one a few weeks ago and she said no, so we just let her believe we dropped it) but now seemed very thrilled as she scarfed french fry after french fry.

"An entire diner to ourselves? Actual heaven," Jo practically moaned.

"If Caroline were here, we would be planning a spa day," Elena pointed out.

"But now, she's MIA," Bonnie added.

"Yeah, I'm surprised I haven't been able to track her down," I said. "_Me_, who knows Caroline Forbes's mind as well as she knows it."

"Well, it's understandable, considering..." Jo trailed off.

Elena cleared her throat as she said, "So, I figured we'd just stuff our faces."

"You're geniuses," Jo moaned into her burger.

"Except... aren't you a vegetarian?" Bonnie giggled as she asked.

I gave my witch best friend a look. "Bonnie, she's about to get married and have a baby. This may be the only time she gets to live a little," I said as I swirled a french fry through ketchup.

"I'm just saying, that's not exactly a Garden burger!" Bonnie pointed out.

"The baby is not okay with the no-meat thing. Besides, Juliet's right, and it's my party, and I'll eat what I want to!" She laughed as she took a big gulp of her milkshake. "I do wish this was vodka, though."

"Right?" Elena asked.

"I seriously doubt the baby will appreciate it," I said as the girls nodded in agreement.

"Hey, I don't want to know what Ric's doing, do I?" Jo asked.

"Probably at the... movies..." Bonnie offered awkwardly.

"Yeah, or mini-golf...?" Elena suggested.

"Or maybe he's being felt up by a bunch of strippers," I said bluntly as I picked at my burger. Elena nudged me hard in the stomach, but we all ended up laughing about it. "What? I'm not one to beat around the bush."

"I kinda wish you beat that bush," Jo said as she set down her milkshake. "I need ketchup!" She announced as she got up and went to the back to get some.

Bonnie scooted into Jo's seat so that she was sitting across from Elena. "So, are we gonna talk about it?"

"What?" Elena asked.

Bonnie gave her a look. "Seriously? You're gonna make your best friend have to pry it out of you?" Elena continued to give Bonnie a puzzled look, so Bonnie came right out with it, "I know about the cure, Elena."

I was sipping my milkshake when Bonnie brought up the cure, and I started choking as I snorted, the milk going up my nose. I coughed as I waved Elena and Bonnie off, who turned back to their conversation.

"You do?" Elena asked as she dropped her voice to a whisper. |How is it even possible?|

"Damon called me last night and he told me everything, including his insane plan to take it with you," Bonnie said.

This time, I choked on my burger. Elena hit me hard on the back as I spat out the fries. "Damon did _what_?" I wheezed.

"Offered to become human with Elena," Bonnie filled me in.

"Damon called you?" Elena asked, surprised.

"He needed someone to talk to after you left the conversation without telling him what you were thinking!" Bonnie said.

"That's not exactly how it happened..." Elena tried defending herself.

"And I quote, 'She stared at me like I was an alien, and then basically teleported out of the room.'," Bonnie reiterated.

"Damon Salvatore stands in front of you and tells you that he wants to become a human again. Wouldn't you freak out?" Elena asked. "I just... I needed some time to process. I mean, twenty-four hours ago, I didn't even think it was possible to become a human again."

"But you want to be human, don't you?" I asked. "I mean, you bitched about it for a while."

Elena gave me a look as she said, "Yeah!" unconvincigly. "Well, I did. Honestly, it's all just very complicated right now."

"It didn't sound complicated when Damon explained the situation to me," I said as I sipped my milkshake.

"Wait, Damon talked about the cure with you, too?" Elena asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. He took me out to lunch and asked me which life I'd prefer-vampire, or human. I told him that he couldn't base your decision off of mine because we're different people."

"What was your answer?" Bonnie asked.

"I told him human," I said. "Well, at least for now. I wanna do the human things-like travel, go to school, and have a baby before I become a vampire. And Stefan agreed with me. In fact, he wants to have a baby _with me_."

Elena and Bonnie's eyes bugged out of their heads. "Stefan wants to have a _baby_ with you?" Bonnie asked.

"Trust me, I'm as confused as you are," I answered.

"Well, what did you say?" Elena pressed.

"What do you think I said?" I replied. "I said yes, of course."

"How are you two gonna have a baby, though?" Bonnie questioned.

"We'd get a donor, duh," I said. "I was thinking of asking Matt. That wouldn't be weird, would it?"

"I don't know if Matt would agree to it," Elena said.

"Why not?" I asked. "Matt loves me. He'd do something like this for me."

"Yeah, for _you_," Elena said. "Stefan, not so much. It's no secret that Matt hasn't been on the vampire side for a long time."

I huffed as I blew hair out of my lips, pushing my bangs out of my face. That was true. This baby thing was just totally crazy in general.

Jo came back with several cups of ketchup in her hand. She frowned as she looked at us. "You guys aren't full, are you?"

* * *

Bonnie started dancing around the diner while Elena chose music on the jukebox. Stefan texted me saying he had something to take care of with his mother, and to wish him luck. Which, as a loyal girlfriend, I did.

Jo, who was still eating ice cream (I had no idea Jo could eat so much) was grilling Elena about the cure. "So, basically, Damon did the vampire-version of a wedding proposal, and you just walked away?"

"I said I would think about it," Elena grumbled. She took a pause, then asked, "Why are we talking about me? This is your party."

"Trust me, I would much rather talk about that than the fact that I have yet to find a non-hideous wedding gown. Or, that I can't ask my sister to be my maid of honor because she won't return my phone calls. Or, the fact that I cannot stop eating- literally, like ever," Jo said. "So, big decision. Go."

"I think you should take it. Decision made," Bonnie commented.

"What if I miss the perks, like compelling the owner of a diner to close early for us? Or what if I get sick?" Jo asked.

"Or, what if the human-you doesn't love Damon anymore?" Bonnie asked bluntly.

Elena gave Bonnie a pointed look, I tried to look everywhere _but_ Elena (given the fact that human Elena chose Stefan, who I was now happily dating) but Jo just seemed confused.

"Someone had to say it!" Bonnie said with a shrug.

"That's ridiculous," Jo voiced. "Being supernatural doesn't change who you are! I should know- I'm an ex-witch who's about to marry an ex-vampire. Deep down, you know who you are and what you want. Love's always gonna require a huge leap of faith. A big, scary leap over a hot pit of lava. And, you might end up heartbroken, but you might be the happiest person on the face of the earth. Personally? I'm glad I took that leap."

Our conversation was thankfully interrupted when Elena's phone started to ring. She checked the Caller ID. "Speak of the devil," She mumbled as she answered, and she made her way out the door while she talked to Damon.

My phone rang, and I checked the Caller ID to see Stefan. "It's like attack of the boyfriends," I said to Bonnie and Jo as I answered. "I don't think it's a good idea to call from bachelor to bachelorette parties. Jo's not getting drunk, by the way, but she did get a lap dance from a stripper, so you can report that to Alaric."

"Jules!" Jo said in a scolding tone, but she was smiling behind her ice cream carton.

"I'm not at the party," Stefan said. "I'm at the Mystic Grill, and I need your help. How soon can you get here?"

"Five or ten minutes?" I said as I looked at my watch. "I'll just meet you there."

We both hung up as I pocketed my phone. "Rain check, ladies." I went over and grabbed my purse from the table.

"Juliet!" Jo bellyached. "You can't just leave in the middle of my bachelorette party!"

"Some party," I said teasingly as I made my way to the door. "There's no booze or strippers."

* * *

According to Stefan when I got there, his mother Lily had attacked a girl in the Grill and made a big scene, and he needed help compelling people to forget the incident. He also called Enzo, who was, surprisingly, a friend of Lily's.

"You left dinner early because you weren't feeling well. You won't remember anything unusual that happened here tonight. Now, go home," Stefan compelled the last girl and the one that Lily had attacked.

The girl turned and left the Grill, just as Enzo walked in. "Ahhh. Broken glassware, the overwhelming scent of fresh blood... I see the family reunion went without a hitch."

"And what the hell took you so long? We had to compel the entire restaurant ourselves!" Stefan complained.

"I was looking for Damon. Word is that he took off to find Elena," Enzo explained.

"Yeah, well, he's not picking up his cell phone right now, which means it's just the three of us," Stefan grumbled.

Enzo chuckled. "Just the three of us. Aww. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"If you're going to suggest a threesome, I will kick your balls so hard they'll end up in the back of your throat," I said offhandedly as I walked past Enzo to stand next to Stefan.

Enzo just chuckled again as he said, "Suppose we ought to get used to it."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"Ahh, that's right. You haven't heard," Enzo said, and my heart pounded as I waited for his next words, which I knew were gonna be: "Damon has the cure, and if we're to believe his bluster, he plans on taking it with Elena."

Stefan's face was blank, but he just laughed in disbelief. "I think I would know if my brother were planning on turning human."

"Based on the look of shock on your face, you don't," Enzo said, and Stefan's expression changed from disbelief to horror as he realized that Enzo was telling the truth, but before he could say anything, Enzo headed for the door.

"Ahh. So, we can either stand here and debate the merits of Damon's word, or we can split up and find your mum before she rips their heads off. Which is it gonna be?" Enzo asked.

Stefan looked torn for a moment, before he reached behind him, grabbed my hand, and pulled me with him out the door as we followed Enzo.

* * *

The three of us split up (technically I stayed with Stefan) and he was angrily walking, and I struggled to keep up with his pace. "Stefan! Human! Walking! Slow! Down!"

"I can't believe he didn't tell me!" Stefan said. He suddenly stopped, causing me to bump into his back. He spun around as he asked, "Did you know?"

I felt horribly guilty, but I had no choice but to nod. "He talked to me about it. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. A) I thought you knew, and B) I didn't think it was my place to bring it up until Damon told Elena."

Stefan looked like he wanted to be angry with me, but he knew he couldn't be. "I know, that's just the person you are. I'm sorry for getting angry with you."

We started walking again when we found Damon, who was laying unconscious on the ground outside of the restaurant. Stefan's phone rang, and it was Elena, who was debriefing us on what was going on-she had taken the cure. She was a human again.

"I got to the tunnels," Elena said, clearly breathless from the effort of running and human speed. "She came through the Grill. She might still be there."

"We're right outside, so get home. We'll deal with her," Stefan told her, and he hung up.

Stefan and I walked over to Damon, who had just awakened after healing and was rolling out his neck. "Elena's safe. Get up. We need to find Lily," Stefan said stiffly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks for asking," Damon groaned. "Ugh."

"So, were you gonna tell me, or was it just... easier to be your normal, dickish self?" Stefan asked, clearly unimpressed.

"What do you think?" Damon asked.

"I think being a human is the last thing you want," Stefan answered.

"I want to be with Elena, Stefan," Damon retorted.

"Do you have any idea what it feels like for me to have to hear it from Enzo? To have no say as to whether I lose my brother or not?" Stefan asked. This was clearly a brother-to-brother convo, so I stepped back a bit as I let it happen.

"Ugh, of course I know what it feels like. Why do you think I didn't tell you?" Damon asked, but he quickly changed the topic. "Can we go find our mother?"

* * *

We walked inside the Grill, me standing a bit behind Stefan. I was mainly there as a witch back up. Lily was sobbing desperately inside, and she looked like she was never going to stop crying. Stefan couldn't help the look of pity, and Lily appeared to be both embarrassed and exhausted.

"Look what you've done to your mother. I'm a mess," She blubbered.

"In a few days, or months, or years, you'll feel different," Stefan said confidently.

"What does it matter if I'm alone, terrified of falling off of the edge?" Lily asked, clearly mourning her weird ass family that Damon told me got left behind in 1903. "I suppose I'd be like you, wouldn't I? Sad and alone."

"He _isn't _sad, and he _isn't _alone," I said sternly as I walked forward. "He has me."

"Like that'll help him," Lily said as she stood up. "What's he gonna do when he loses you, too? You're a human. Anything can take you out, and then he'll be just like me."

I was so sick of these words being thrown into my face that I just wanted to turn into a vampire and be done with it. But I enjoyed being a human/witch, I wasn't ready to give it up.

Anyways, back to Stefan's crazy mother. Lily, overwhelmed by all of her various feelings, broke a piece of wood off of the wall and pointed it above her heart, making it clear that she was about to stake herself. Stefan began to panic and slowly took a step toward her.

"No! No, no, no, no. You don't want to do that. Please don't do that," Stefan begged, but Lily didn't move; she just continued to point the stake at herself. "Stay alive for us, your sons. The one who I know that, deep down inside you, you still care about. And who still care about you."

"You're looking into my eyes. You always had such pretty eyes," Lily said sadly. For a second, it looked like she was going to consider Stefan's offer, but in the blink of an eye, she vamp-sped toward him. However, she didn't aim for him like I thought. Instead, she shoved a very surprised Stefan out of the way, and the next thing I knew, Lily Salvatore was in front of me with a stake raised in her hands.

I was too shocked at what was going on to attempt a spell, and it seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. Before I knew what was going on, Lily drove the stake through my chest. I gasped loudly and screamed as the wood penetrated my skin, and I faintly heard Stefan scream "No!"

I didn't know what happened after that. I fell down to the ground and shook as blood seeped out of me. Lily had just managed to miss my heart, but the poor thing couldn't keep up with my cells attempts to close the wound and save me. My adrenaline rush didn't help as it pumped blood faster out of my wounds, and I could feel myself turning white and my breath leaving me.

First, I saw Damon's face, who had gently picked me up. I heard his faint "No's" as he tried to think about what to do. My entire body felt numb, and the pool of blood around me was just getting bigger as I began to get disoriented. My breaths were coming in slow huffs as my own panicked eyes looked into Damon's equally as fearful and panicked eyes.

Suddenly, I was out of his arms, and in Stefan's. Stefan. He had such a beautiful face. Words were coming out of his lips, but I could make no sense of them. I lifted a shaking hand as blood slipped out of my mouth. My fingers were coated in my own blood as I drew a line of blood on Stefan's face. White began clouding my vision. Why was everything white?

I felt a weight lift off of my chest and it made my entire body shiver. Instead of making me feel better, blood began coming out of my wound even faster, to the point where I could feel the thick streams of blood slipping down my fingers. I felt so cold, and I didn't want to move. I _couldn't_ move.

Stefan lifted his wrist to his mouth. Why was he doing that? It was blocking his face.

Such a beautiful face...

* * *

**TBC...**

**Not exactly how I was expecting this chapter to end but hey go with the flow.**

**And don't worry, she'll be fine! I think...**

* * *

_**Review Responses...**_

_**RHatch89**_: Why thank you!

_**LMarie99:**_ Thank you! And this is soon-ish?

_**grapejuice101: **_Maybe baby LOL. I'm nervous about the finale too but I'm so excited for it!

_**lijahsgirl:**_ I love you too kind stranger. And I love babies too!

_**CarlyLnn:**_ Thank you! Here's the update!

_**Scooter127:**_ Yay for screaming! (Just don't break people's ear drums please I don't wanna be sued). And hells yeah they're still adorable! After putting them through so much shit this season I figured we needed a little Jefan fluff.

_**Guest 1**_: AWWWW is right Guest 1!

_**Guest 2**_: I don't know to both questions! Babies and vampirism are all part of Jules's plans but which one will come first is the real question.

_**Guest 3**_: Thank you! I like _you_!

_**Adela: **_Here is the update! And thank you so much!

_**Samahenoy Phye: **_Thank you! And I know, right? Little Baby Juliet's and Stefan's (Okay Matt's) running around. And that never occurred to me, thank you for the suggestion!

_**The-Effulgent-One**_: Don't worry, she won't! The story couldn't continue without Jules! (Something Julie Plec needs to learn smh).

_**Guest 4**_: Jules isn't going the way of Old Elena, that I can assure you. And those were the names that she picked!

_**HOAfan8509:**_ Yay and thanks so much! Jules from the beginning is definitely a plan for the summer once I finish up other projects.

* * *

**Next Chapter...**

_**I'll Wed You in the Golden Summertime...**_

**It's Alaric and Jo's wedding day, and Juliet, Elena, and Bonnie help a stressed out Jo with the last minute preparations. Caroline attempts to make amends with her friends and finally, Alaric and Jo's wedding is interrupted by an uninvited guest.**


	43. I'll Wed You in the Golden Summertime

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OC, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert", and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:** I am SO SORRY about the gap guys! Only one more episode and let me tell you it's gonna give you so many feels.

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Oops," I muttered as I dropped my make up bag. I moved to bend down to get it, but before I could, Bonnie ran over to the bag and picked it up.

"I got it!" She said as she snatched it off the ground. She handed it to me. "Here you go, Jules."

I gave her a look but took the make up bag from her hands. "Please don't treat me like an ornament."

"I think it's a good idea for us to," Elena said as she walked into the study of the boarding house.

"Um, hello? Little Miss 'I'm Not a Vampire Anymore'?" I asked. "If anything, we should be treating _you_ like an ornament."

"But am I chocked filled with vampire blood?" Elena asked as she starts filling a glass with champagne.

I huffed. She had me there. I shook my head as I began looking through my make up bag for my favourite mascara.

The day before, my boyfriend's mother, Lily Salvatore, tried to kill me. According to Stefan, she wanted Stefan to feel the same pain that she was feeling at the time without her crazy ass family from her prison world. She didn't really _intend_ on killing me, but killing me "would've been a bonus". To be honest, if anyone was to die, it would've been Stefan. Because I was injured so bad, I had to drink a lot of vampire blood to heal me up. I had practically drained Stefan dry when Damon tore his brother's wrist away from me before I killed him. From there, Damon took over. And then I passed out and didn't remember anything.

"I can't find my mascara!" I groaned in frustration. I looked up at Elena. "Did you borrow it without asking again?"

She held up her hands. "Hey, I learned my lesson the last time. I really miss that lip gloss, you know."

Suddenly, Jo rushed into the room as she started frantically searching for something. "Crap, they're not here," She cursed.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"My shoes!" Jo answered, freaking out. "My gorgeous, ridiculously expensive, wear-them-once-and-then-never-again shoes. They are missing."

"Do you want me to do a locator spell?" Bonnie asked.

Jo scrunched up her face. "On my shoes?" She questioned in confusion. When Bonnie nodded, Jo asked, "Is that possible?"

"I don't know, actually," Bonnie answered as she fiddled with the garment steamer, trying to turn it on to steam out Jo's dress. "Just hang on, I got to figure out how to work this stupid thing." Just as she said that, she accidently pulled out the hose.

"Oh, good, break it! Because my wrinkled dress will surely distract everyone from my bare feet!" Jo said sarcastically.

"Jo?" I tried, walking over to her and putting my hands on her shoulders. "Take a deep breath. You're fine."

"Juliet's right!" Elena said. "Don't waste all your panic now! You still have eight hours until the ceremony." She went over to Jo and offered her a glass. "Non-alcoholic mimosa?"

"One, a non-alcoholic mimosa is just an orange juice," Jo sighed. "And two, I can't drink. Somebody should drink. You should drink."

"I will drink, eventually. But, I have human tolerance now, which is cheaper but a lot less fun," Elena answered as she clinked glasses with Jo. "Cheers."

Jo's phone rang, and Elena leaped to grab it before Jo could. "Oh. oh Relax." She answered the call. "Jo's phone. Oh, huh. Okay."

"That's not an 'okay' okay," Jo said as she began to panic. "That's a 'there's a problem' okay."

"Yeah, we'll call you back. Bye," Elena said as she hung up the phone and awkwardly hesitated for a moment before she turned to Jo. "Danielle's got the flu."

Uh-oh. Danielle was Jo's wedding planner. Without Danielle, Jo and Alaric would probably be getting married at the Mystic Falls High School.

Jo smiled tightly. "Huh. It sounded like you just said, 'Danielle has the flu,' which is impossible, because Danielle is my wedding coordinator."

Elena grimaced. "...Yeah."

"Well, how sick is she?" Jo asked frantically. "Can she still work?"

"...It depends on how much vomit you want to have at the wedding," Elena offered, and Jo began to pace around the room.

However, she stopped in her tracks when she heard a voice. A voice that brought instant tears to my eyes. "To be honest, I think maybe this is a good thing!" Caroline Forbes announced as she walked into the room. "Because no matter how good Danielle was, I am pretty sure I'm better."

I couldn't help it. I practically exploded into a huge smile as I ran over to Caroline and wrapped her up in the biggest hug I'd ever given anyone. "Caroline, you're back! I missed you so much!"

Caroline hugged me tightly back as she said, "I missed me, too." She pulled back and squeezed my shoulders. "Thank you for getting me back."

I made a gesture that said, "It was nothing" as Elena rushed over and pulled Caroline into a hug too.

"Good to have you back, Care!" Elena said.

"It's good to _be back_, Elena," Caroline answered, and when she pulled away from Elena, she turned to Bonnie.

"Hi!" Bonnie said, her voice tight with emotion.

"Hi!" Caroline said in the same voice and they both surged forward to meet for a hug. Caroline quickly blinked the tears out of her eyes as she went into "Business Mode Caroline". "Okay, now, we've got a lot to do and not a lot time to do it. Elena, just have a drink, you're not going to pass out." Elena nodded as she went to fix herself a drink. "Bonnie, the switch is on the left-hand side on the back."

"Oh!" Bonnie said as she walked to the steamer so she could finish steaming the wrinkles out of Jo's wedding gown.

"Jo, I can see your shoes under the couch," Caroline said to the bride, who sighed in relief as she went over to grab her shoes. "And Juliet?" Caroline grabbed her purse and reached into it, pulling out: my mascara. "I borrowed it before I shut my humanity off. And then because I knew how much you loved it, I kept it. Time to give it back, I guess." She gave me a sorry smile which I accepted as I took the mascara from her hand. "Okay, now, who's dealing with the boys?"

* * *

"Elena, you're digging a hole in my side!" I complained as Elena's boney elbow hit me in the side _again_. Jeez, did she get bonier after she became a human?

"You're practically stepping on my foot!" Elena bellyached.

"You've always been a mirror hog," I murmured to myself as I continued applying eye shadow.

"I am _not_ a mirror hog!"

"Kids! Don't make me turn this car around!" Caroline joked as she walked into the room, not bothering to look up from her phone. "Now, the boys are officially taken care of, bride, maid of honour, and bridesmaid are in hair and make-up. I'm gonna head to the venue and fix... whatever they're screwing up."

Elena reached over to grab something and nearly brushed her hand on the curling iron, almost burning her hand. Caroline instantly panicked. "Elena, the curling iron!"

"Yes, I can see it, Care," Elena said pointedly.

To Caroline's credit, she looked pretty sheepish. "Okay!"

Gentler, Elena said, "I'm human now, not blind. And I'm not fragile, either. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

"Uh, I do, actually. Because if you walked on them, they could cut you and you'd get infected and probably die," Caroline guessed.

Elena made a face as she considered what Caroline said. "You know what? Given my luck, that actually seems possible."

That made us all laugh, and Elena grabbed a glass of champagne. I'd opted to waiting until the wedding to drink. No need for me to get drunk off my ass until the actual _party_. I'd already given Stefan instructions on getting me home while I was drunk.

"So, what's it like now in the world of the living?" Caroline asked.

"It's different, I'm slower, I have to look both ways before crossing the street, but it's nice to not..." Elena said, but Caroline interrupted her.

"-Be a monster like me, who turns off their humanity and commits murder instead of dealing with grief like a normal person?" She blurted.

Elena gave her a look of sympathy as she said, "I was gonna say... not have to wear a daylight ring all the time."

Caroline chuckled nervously and in embarrassment before saying, "Look, I'm so sorry, Elena. I was trying to hurt you when I said that you would never truly be happy with Damon because you weren't human. And now you are, and I just hope that it's not because I made you think that you would be miserable for eternity."

Elena walked toward her and touched Caroline's arm comfortingly. "Care, I've wanted to be human from the day I became a vampire. Besides, I'm the last person that you need to apologize to."

"Thanks, I kind of wanted to start with an easy one," Caroline explained, and Elena nodded in understanding.

"The dreaded 'Amends Tour'," Elena said.

"And the next stop is Juliet Island," Caroline said as she turned to face me. "Juliet, I'm _so sorry_. Not only for trying to kill you, but for also taking Stefan away from you. You two were finally back on track and I wanted to hurt you and the best way to hurt you would've been through hurting Stefan. I'm sorry I did that to you and I'll be spending the rest of eternity making it up to you."

I gave a gentle laugh as I went over to Caroline and wrapped my arm around. "There's nothing to forgive, Caroline. Sure, your humanity was off, but I know that you're truly sorry."

She sighed in relief. "To be honest, you were the hardest person I'd have to talk to. But because you were here, I decided I'd might as well talk to you now. Oh, and if you see Ivan, I'm saving him for last," She said as she turned to look herself in the mirror. "I just need to get my life in order first. Starting with my friends."

"Ivan's not a friend?" Elena asked, a little confused.

"Ivan's... complicated," Caroline allowed. "I just figured I'd work my way up to that one."

"Well, you're in the clear," Elena assured her. "Jo's got him on wedding duty. In an effort to bond more with Jo, he offered to help with anything when it came to the wedding, and she, of course, took him up on it."

Caroline nodded. "Good. Now, I have to think about what I want to say to Stefan, since the whole 'killing spree' thing we did together was pretty bad. I have to _really_ play that one well, and I need time to do that."

"You're good there, too," I told her. "He's got his hands full with Damon today."

"What's wrong with Damon?" Caroline asked.

"Not much..." Elena hesitated before continuing on, trying hard to seem casual, which, of course, was what gave her away. "He just said he would take the cure with me..."

Caroline's head snapped immediately in Elena's direction, the shock splattered all over her face. "Damon Salvatore? _Human_? I... I can't even picture it."

"Yeah. Something tells me neither can he," Elena said sadly.

I bounced her hip, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, your makeup isn't gonna do itself."

* * *

Lily was trying to take a bite out of everyone, it seemed. When Bonnie was down there, Lily tried to attack her, resulting in bruises on Bonnie's neck which Elena was currently trying to cover up with makeup.

"She was rambling on about her family, and then I got close to her, and she attacked me, like an animal," Bonnie explained.

Elena sighed in an understanding that neither Bonnie nor I could understand. "Sounds like she's reached the full-blown crazy stage of drying out," Elena said.

"You're saying this is all because she's drying out?" Bonnie asked.

Elena hesitated. "It's hard for me to explain how awful it is but, yeah. Your mind starts playing tricks on you. You start seeing things, and people."

"What happens when the crazy stage is over?" Bonnie asked.

"Stefan's got a plan," I said. "He said he's figuring it all out."

"Does that plan involve letting her out? Because if he thinks she's giving up on her family..." Bonnie pointed out.

Elena frowned in confusion. "She has to. Bonnie, you already destroyed the Ascendant."

Bonnie hesitated. "What if there's a loophole?" She asked uncertainly.

We couldn't answer because Jo walked in and interrupted us. "I'm dreading it, but I guess I should think about putting the dress on."

Jo could clearly sense that something was wrong, and she quickly developed a worrying look on her face. "Something's wrong. It's not the dress, is it? Please tell me it's not the dress."

"We were just discussing the fact that there's a desiccating vampire locked in a cell less than fifty feet from where we're getting ready," Elena explained.

Jo scrunched her eyebrows. "Did she do something to the dress?"

"No no, the dress is fine. I'm just being paranoid," Bonnie assured her, but I knew Bonnie Bennett, and there was still something wrong here.

Fortunately for Bonnie, I didn't have the opportunity to question her, because Matt and Ivan walked in. "Okay. Truck's here. Who's coming?" Matt asked.

When we all gave them looks of confusion, Matt elaborated. "Caroline suggested in a semi-threatening way that I pick up the centerpieces, which sounds like a Donovan screw-up waiting to happen. And because Ivan insists that he's a butterfingers-"

"It's a diagnosis that I'm standing by!" Ivan defended himself.

"We could use more help," Matt finished.

"I'll come!" Bonnie said quickly as she ran over to them.

Matt gave her a thumbs-up. "Thank you," He said, and the three of them left to do their wedding chores.

* * *

My makeup was finished and I had just started curling my hair when Elena's phone rang. She answered as she put down her makeup brush. "I'm on my third glass, so speak slowly."

Something on the other end. Times like these I really regretted not having vampire hearing. Elena laughed at what the person said. "Ha! It's Damon. He didn't."

So clearly she was talking to Stefan, who was still on his Damon mission. "I want the perfect human life with him, too, Stefan!" She defended to whatever Stefan said. "Trust me. But life isn't perfect. Okay, look- you have a few more hours, so push him. Make him see that."

Elena hung up as she downed the rest of her third glass and started filling her fourth.

"You remember a little thing called alcohol tolerance, right?" I asked as I eyed her.

"Yeah, and I seem to remember that my alcohol tolerance is a lot better than yours," She said as she raised the glass to her mouth.

I sighed a little and walked over to her. "Elena, why are you so determined to have Damon keep his vampire life?"

"Because I know it's not what he really wants," She answered. "I can't let him become human just for me. What if something happens to me?"

"What if something doesn't?" I countered. "What if it's the best thing that could've happened to the two of you?" I asked as I stood in front of her. "Elena, you have no idea what I'd do to let Stefan become a human and have us have the perfect human life, too. But, the cure is running through _your_ veins so _you_ get to decide who gets it. But if it were me, Damon would be human already."

Elena looked like she was taking my words into consideration when Jo walked in, eyeing Elena's glass of champagne. "Hey, remember when you were pacing yourself?"

"Heh, I do," Elena answered. "Right before I told my ex-boyfriend how to get my current boyfriend to give up hope for our relationship. What if I made a huge mistake by taking the cure?"

"The only mistake you made was that last glass of champagne," Jo answered as she grabbed the glass from Elena's hand. "I'm gonna go make some coffee before you spiral through the earth to China."

"Yeah, okay," Elena agreed.

Jo was about to walk away with the glass when she suddenly got a weird look on her face and grabbed her stomach. The look on her face showed that she was getting dizzy, as though she was about to fall, but she leaned against the nearby piano for support. I ran over to Jo, but not in time enough to catch her before she hit the ground, the glass shattering as it hit the ground.

"Elena!" I called to her. "Call 911!"

Elena ran to find the nearest phone with her new human speed, while I checked Jo's vitals through the First Aid training I could still remember. "Jo! Jo! Wake up!"

* * *

"The doctor got the test results back," Elena reported as I rubbed Jo's back in comfort. "The babies are fine, you're fine. He thinks it was just..."

"An acute panic attack, brought on by stress, pregnancy, and a severe lack of food?" Jo self diagnosed.

"Yeah," Elena smiled.

"What are the chances of you being an amazing maid-of-honour and keeping this mortifying episode to yourself? I don't want to worry Ric," Jo asked Elena.

"Of course," Elena said, and she walked out of the room.

I patted Jo's hand. "Do you want me to get you something to eat? I'm even willing to go far to get you pregnancy craving foods."

Jo sighed in relief as she nodded her head. "You have no idea how badly you'd be saving my life," She said.

* * *

After we got some food in Jo, I finally got myself ready and made my way to the wedding location. I ran into Caroline as she was directing one of the waiters to people.

"I see you've already turned into a traffic controller," I commented as I strolled up to her.

"Someone has to," She muttered under her breath. "Where's Jo? Is she..."

"She's okay," I answered. "She was discharged and we got some food in her."

"Good. Well, there's a back entrance she can use that avoids being seen," Caroline offered.

I nodded. "I'll tell her."

"Great," Caroline said as she pulled out her phone. I looked around and noticed Ivan walking over with Stefan, the both of them looking very dapper.

"Ivan! Stefan!" I called them over as I waved.

Caroline froze in her spot as she looked up and saw her ex-boyfriend walking over. She quickly turned around, alarm burning bright in her eyes. "...I'm gonna go wait for Jo."

I gave her an understanding smile and nod. "Okay. Go do what you do, I'll cover for you."

She gave me a look of gratitude as she scampered away. Stefan and Ivan had just reached us when she scrambled out of sight.

"What? Do I have something on my shirt?" Stefan asked as he watched Caroline run away.

I grinned as I stepped towards him, planting a kiss right on his lips. "No, you look absolutely perfect. Must be something Ivan's wearing."

My brother gave me an endearing look. "Very funny. You know, I'm _trying_ to be nice and give her space, but it's killing me."

"Of course it is," Stefan said. "I know what it's like to not be with the person that you love," Stefan looked over at me and wrapped his arm around my back, pulling me into his side while dropping a kiss to the side of my head.

Ivan huffed as he re-adjusted his cuff on his wrist. "Right. So do I just keep waiting?"

"You can try to talk to her, but if she needs more space, give it to her," Stefan offered his advice. "But Caroline's not the type of person to run away from her problems for very long."

Ivan shifted from foot to foot as he said, "The thing is, she heard me say that I loved her to her mother when she was looking into my memory of Liz. Now I'm scared I just completely scared her off."

"I'm sure you didn't," I assured him. "Caroline just needs some time to process everything. She'll talk to you."

"_When_?" Ivan pressed.

Stefan looked over his shoulder to see Caroline distractedly adjusting presents on her arms as she made her way to the presents table. "Now would be good," Stefan suddenly said as he grabbed Ivan's arm and literally pushed him towards Caroline.

Ivan almost knocked over Caroline when he got to her. Caroline was frozen in spot, and Ivan shot Stefan a glare at his actions.

However, Stefan and I had to suppress laughter. "You're welcome, brother!" Stefan called out to him as he turned and led the two of us away to give the two of them some privacy.

* * *

Caroline gulped. She was avoiding Ivan for a _reason_.

Which he was quick to point out. "If you're avoiding me, will you at least give me a reason as to why? Because there are so many right now I can't even think straight."

Caroline turned around and tried to play dumb. "What? No. I'm not avoiding you. I'm trying to organize this whole circus here. I mean, did you see where they put the bar?"

Ivan gave Caroline a look. "Caroline? Can we talk?"

Caroline wanted to say No, but she knew deep in her heart she wanted to say yes. So she did.

The two of them sat on a bench near the barn. At first, they were awkwardly sitting there, neither of them knowing which one should start first.

Ivan, however, was the first one to break the silence. "I'm sorry. I'm a horrible person because the only thing I've been thinking about is me in our situation when I _should_ be thinking about _you_."

Caroline instantly began shaking her head. "No! That's not true, Ivan. Elena and Juliet _both_ have told me that you were just trying to give me space, which is exactly what I wanted, because figuring out what to say to you has been the hardest thing ever.

"Well, I guess I should start with I'm sorry for hurting you that first day I came back after shutting off my humanity. Hurting people felt good, and I knew that you'd be hurt the most with my words. And then I tried to kill you. I...I _fed_ off of you. That's unforgivable," Caroline said. "But either way, I'm truly sorry. Do you hate me?"

"Of course not," Ivan said automatically as he placed his hand over Caroline's, squeezing it. "The last thing I feel for you is _hate_."

"Well, that makes two of us," Caroline said gently, before clearing her throat. "I made a list... of uhm, all the things that I've done since I fell for you. It started last summer when you first came back to life. I thought you were pretty funny, and I started looking forward to the times that we hung out together. The first time I actually knew I was feeling something for you. The time that I _told_ you my feelings and you accepted them. I couldn't believe my luck. Being with you when my mother died..."

"Caroline..." Ivan tried, but Caroline pressed on.

"You were there for me in so many ways," She continued. "You were with me the entire time I was planning, you put up with my weird behaviour-and don't even say that it wasn't weird, because it was-but for some reason, it wasn't enough for me. I still turned my humanity off. You did everything you could for me, and I let you down."

"Caroline, I forgive you," Ivan said. "I...I _love you, _Caroline. I'd never thought that love was something I could ever have, much less have it with someone like you. You're the light when I feel dark, you're the thing that makes me happy when I'm sad. You _taught me_ what it was like to be loved, and to love in return. And when you hurt me? Yeah, it broke my heart. But I held on to the pieces because I knew that you could repair them. I still want you to repair them, Caroline." Ivan took a deep breath. "But I completely understand if you don't want to. I'll just do the puzzle on my own."

Caroline had tears growing in her eyes, but she didn't dare let it ruin her makeup. She had a few options in front of her.

A) Kiss Ivan.

B) Leave him sitting there awkwardly.

C) Say she forgot something and _still_ leave him there awkwardly.

Caroline opted for choice A. She leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to Ivan's lips. The feeling reignited something within her, a light that went out when her mother died. It was just a small spark, but Caroline was determined to light the match again.

Caroline slowly pulled away, and the look on Ivan's face showed that he was just floored. He certainly wasn't expecting that to happen, which brought a smile to her face.

"I don't know if I'll ever go back to the Caroline that you fell in love with," Caroline began. "Because she's lost. I lost my control over her and I need to get that control back." She intertwined her fingers with Ivan's. "Let's make a deal: you help me find that Caroline again, and I'll help you fix the broken pieces."

Ivan smiled widely. He leaned forward so that his and Caroline's foreheads were gently touching. "It's a deal."

* * *

After the stress of not being able to find Damon and Elena (I didn't even want to begin to think about that) we cued the music and decided that the show must go on.

Stefan and I locked arms and walked down the aisle to get to Alaric. Damon and Elena were supposed to go before us but because they were nowhere to be found, Caroline pushed the two of us to go first. When we got to the front, I went and stood on the other side of the altar where Jo would be while Stefan went and stood on the other side of Alaric.

I looked to the audience (apparently, the Gemini coven reproducted like bunnies) to see Damon and Elena practically rushing down the aisle, their hair and their clothes obviously disleveled. I tried not to wrinkle my nose at the thought.

Damon and Alaric whispered something to each other, but I opted to ignore it as Jo, escorted by her father, walked down the aisle and everyone turns to watch them meet Alaric and the bridesmaids and groomsmen at the altar. Once everyone was in position, the Reverend began his homily.

I smiled at the clearly blown away look on Alaric's face, and I made eye contact with Stefan on the other side, who had the same look on his face when he looked over to me.

"Welcome, family and friends, on this magical evening to the wedding of Alaric Saltzman and Josette Loughlin," The Reverend began. "Josette and Alaric have prepared their own vows."

Alaric cleared his throat nervously. "Ahem. Neither one of us should be here right now. We've spend our life dodging fate and beating the odds. But, because we did, I got to meet you, the most beautiful, hilarious and intimidatingly brilliant woman I have ever known. You inspire me, you've shown me that happiness is actually something that I can have in my life. And so..." Alaric turned and grabbed the ring from Tyler. "I promise to be with you, and love you, and to dodge fate with you-" He slipped the ring on Jo's finger. "- for the rest of our lives."

As Jo began to cry, I did too. I did it all the time at weddings and even though I felt stupid, I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one crying either.

"Josette?" The Reverend prompted.

"Oh god, that's a tough act to follow," Jo joked, and everyone laughed. "Here it goes- Alaric Saltzman, you are..."

And Jo suddenly cut herself off as she gasped loudly. But, it wasn't a gasp of surprise or anything, more like...she was in pain. Alaric's face grew alarmed, as did the rest of us.

"Jo? Jo? Jo? Oh my god. Jo? Jo? Jo?" Alaric fretted.

Jo started to sway on her feet as, to everyone's horror, blood began to pour from the front of her dress, as though she'd been stabbed from behind.

"Jo? Oh god, no!" Alaric cried as Jo cried out in pain.

She fell forward and Alaric caught her, and when she did, to our intense horror, Kai was standing behind her with a bloody hunting knife in his hands.

"No! No, no, no, no!" Alaric shouted as he cradled his bride. Jo's skin had turned a deathly white colour, as if she had turned into a ghost, and blood was seeping out of her wound at an alarming rate.

"I was gonna wait 'til the 'death do us apart' bit, but it seemed a little on the nose. Am I right?" Kai asked.

Someone got up to rush towards Kai, but Kai held up a hand and magically created a high-pitched noise that incapacitated everyone-human, witch, and vampire alike-at the ceremony. My hands instantly dropped my bouquet as I screamed and grabbed my ears, trying to block out the noise and the pain. I looked up to see everyone else doing the same thing, and Kai was smiling gleefully.

"Miss me? No? Oh well," Kai shrugged, and he twisted his hand as if he was turning up the noise, which, of course, he did.

The noise was so powerful that all of the glasses and windows shattered, causing Damon, Elena, and I to fall to the ground. When Elena made impact, she slammed her head against the ground and was knocked unconscious.

I got up to try and stop Kai, but Kai thrusted his hand out towards me, sending me flying backwards. I crashed into the wall and slid down it, banging my head against the floor. I immediately started getting woozy, and I felt blood starting to pour out of my nose. I fought against the black spots, and when I looked up, I saw the glass pane was shaking precariously.

The last thing that I saw as the high pitched noise practically gave me an aneurysm was the glass shattering and falling towards me before it all went black.

* * *

**TBC...**

**So...yeah.**

**I can't do review responses as it is late but I'll try to do them next chapter!**

**NEXT CHAPTER IS THE LAST CHAPTER TILL OCTOBER! WHO'S PUMPED?**

* * *

_**I'm Thinking of You All the While...**_

**THE SEASON FINALE-GOODBYE, MYSTIC FALLS — In the aftermath of Alaric and Jo's powerful nuptials, things take a dramatic turn when an uninvited guest shows up, leaving Elena in terrible jeopardy. Despite Matt's advice to leave town to protect herself, a defiant Bonnie takes matters into her own hands after finding herself on the receiving end of a twisted plan. Stefan and Juliet reach an emotional crossroad in their relationship, something that could change their relationship forever. Meanwhile, a reunion with Liv leaves Tyler faced with a decision that could change his life forever. Meanwhile, Lily's reckless actions cause Stefan to realize the lengths to which his mother will go to reunite with her "family". Finally, a devastating chain of events, Damon is forced to make the most difficult decision of his life.**

* * *

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED! SEASON 6 FINALE GUYS!**


	44. I'm Thinking of You All the While

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OC, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert", and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note:** Here we are. The Season Finale.

I am very very VERY excited for you guys to read this chapter! I'd say there are equal parts of laughing and crying (considering this episode is the one that features Nina's departure) but I'd be lying to you. It's all crying.

And I'm not even sorry LOL.

I worked on this chapter for THREE WHOLE DAYS. I wanted everything to be perfect.

Okay, first, to ease everyone's minds, YES I am coming back to do season 7. At first I thought that I could end this chapter in a way that'd tie up Stefan and Juliet's story, but I still feel like that they have so much more story to tell. So, you guys will be seeing me in the fall!

In the meantime, I have a few projects featuring Juliet coming up. Bearing that in mind, they're projects I'm going to pursue later in the summer once I've had a chance to catch up on some other current projects (such as Juliet in the Originals). BUT I'll let you all know once I start them!

Now, I won't keep you waiting anymore! I HOPE YOU LOVE THE FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON 6!

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_ I blinked. Hard._

_ When I could finally open my eyes fully, I saw that I was laying down in a forest. I slowly raised my head as I looked down at my clothes. Gone was the bridesmaid dress that Jo and I had painfully picked out (it took us _forever _to decide on a dress that the both of us liked) and I was back to regular Juliet clothes (a short summer dress, sandals, and a jean jacket)._

_ I felt a hand at my shoulder, and I looked over to see Stefan, who was laying down next to me. "You're up," He said._

_ "Yeah," I said carefully, assessing what was going on. Wasn't I just at Alaric and Jo's wedding? And not laying down on a picnic blanket surrounded by tall grass and flowers? Something happened at Jo and Alaric's wedding. What happened?_

_ "Is there something wrong?" Stefan asked._

_ I put my hand to my head. "Yeah. I just...I feel weird. I feel like something's wrong, but I can't quite put my finger on it."_

_ "Well, there's nothing wrong here," Stefan said as he began kissing my shoulder. "There's nothing ever wrong here."_

_ "Where is here, exactly?" I asked. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong._

_ "I don't know," Stefan answered with a shrug. "It's nowhere. It's everywhere."_

_ "That's cryptic," I said slowly, furrowing my eyebrows. "But really, whe-" I stopped myself as I felt a prick on my skin. _

_ "Ow!" I hissed as I looked down at my wrist. There was a tiny slash on the back of my wrist._

_ "What's wrong?" Stefan asked as he took my wrist in his hand. _

_ "The hell if I know," I answered. I felt another slash on my wrist, and another cut appeared, blood dripping down my wrist. More and more slashes appeared on my skin. I yelped as the cuts then began appearing all over my body, leaving tiny-or big- cuts on my legs, arms, and face._

_ "What's going on?" Stefan asked._

_ "I don't-" I started, but the answer died in my throat when I felt my throat get scratchy and painful. I tried coughing to rid of the feeling but it felt like there was something lodged in my throat. I coughed one final time, and a piece of glass coated in my own blood came out as it fell on to my hand._

_ I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion as I held up the piece of glass. What the hell?_

_ I couldn't think about it anymore as I started coughing again, and more blood and glass began falling out of my mouth. It felt like there was an endless supply of it in my throat._

_ "Jules! Jules!" Stefan exclaimed as he held on to me, but his voice started to sound far away as he continually shouted my name._

_ I started feeling dizzy, and I looked up at the clear sky to see the sky going from blue to white. Stefan's sounds faded as my vision did..._

* * *

"Juliet!"

My eyes snapped open as I tried to take a deep breath in through my mouth. I said _tried_, because my throat felt like there was tiny, tiny, cuts all along the inside of it.

My entire body felt the same way. My eyes travelled down to see that I was indeed covered in cuts all over my body and there was glass all over me, I could feel it in my cuts. My right arm was also pulsing with pain, and it looked like it was swelling by the minute, making me think I broke it. How did that happen?

My mind flashed back to being thrown against the wall by Kai, shaking the window pane above me. I looked up to see that the broken window must have shattered before I blacked out, and I was now plastered with cuts and smudged with blood all over my body.

I looked over to see Stefan leaning above me worriedly. So I _was_ hearing his voice in wherever I was when I passed out. I couldn't move my head, but from where I was laying I could see that the entire wedding ceremony had erupted into utter chaos. There was blood and bodies strewn all over the place. Damon was kneeling on the floor at the front of the altar, where he was clutching Elena's unconscious body against his lap and desperately trying to awaken her, Kai admiring his handiwork the entire time.

"Elena," I barely managed.

Stefan was trying to pick me up, but every time I moved, I felt like the glass in my body was digging into my veins even harder. "Elena," I insisted. She wasn't waking up. Why wasn't she waking up?

Stefan looked over his shoulder to see Damon struggling with my sister. I pointed at Elena. "Go...see...what's...wrong," I choked.

Stefan was blurry, but I could make out him shaking his head as he continued to help me. "I'll...be...fine," I insisted. "Elena..." _Elena was the one that was unconscious_, was what I wanted to say, but I could barely breathe, let alone speak.

Stefan looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew how serious I was because he gave me a quick kiss on the forehead (which hurt, by the way) and got up to go see what was wrong with Elena.

Around me, people were still dying, Jo being one of them, at least, I thought so. From the angle that I could see, Alaric was cradling his bride as blood continued to pour out of her wound, and she was barely moving. Alaric kept asking for someone to help, but everyone else was too preoccupied. A tear slid down my cheek at the loss.

I turned my head so that I was looking back up at the ceiling and focused on trying to get up. Pain was prickling my body all over, but I fought against it as I began with my head. I slowly moved my head up, though every muscle in my body begged and screamed for me to not to. I ignored the protests of my body as I then proceeded with my arms. Well, one arm, at least, since the other one was broken. I lifted my uninjured arm-my left arm- up and put it on the ground in a position so that I could push myself off the ground. I couldn't help it this time as I tried to lift myself off the ground-I screamed.

I found the screaming to help as I lifted myself off the ground. I was very uneasy on my legs as I grabbed whatever I could to help lift me off of the ground. I automatically cradled my right arm to my side as I tried mopping off the blood that had slowly to a trickle from my nose. I made small movements as I tried walking (no way was I going to attempt to run) but my knees gave out and I fell down to the ground. I screamed as I landed on my bad arm. I looked forward and saw my phone had somehow managed to get in front of me. I reached forward to try and grab it, but a foot kicked it just out of my reach.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen," I heard from above me, and I slowly raised my head in horror.

"Over twenty years in isolation, and the ladies are _still_ falling at my feet," the sinister face of Kai Parker smirked. "I still got it."

I immediately began looking for Stefan, and my heart fell when I saw him and Caroline on the ground, the both of them currently incapacitated due to their snapped necks. Ivan was there too, laying next to Caroline, but it looked like he was just knocked out.

I was left at the mercy of Kai. He leaned down so that he was crouching in front of me. "Hey, remember when I absorbed the Traveler spell around Mystic Falls and I used you to practice my magic on? Good times, right?"

I couldn't respond. I _refused_ to respond.

"Anyways," Kai said. "I brought it up because I was thinking about how you tried to kill me when you tried to escape. Your little burst of magic that nearly snapped my neck? That wasn't very nice, Princess. Not very nice at all." He reached over and grabbed my phone, looking it over. "Samsung? Really? I pegged you as an iPhone girl."

"_Stay away from me_," I gritted through my teeth, trying my best to push myself away from him.

"Ah, don't worry, Princess," Kai said with a wave as he dropped my phone to the side. "I'm not going to hurt you."

I didn't believe his words one bit. "Oh?" I asked sarcastically.

He shook his head. "No. Not emotionally, at least. Well, I hope I don't hurt your precious little feelings."

Kai suddenly reached out and grabbed my upper right arm, the one that was injured. I screamed in pain as he held me up roughly. "Considering this my parting gift," Kai grinned evilly.

I didn't have to wait long to figure out what he was doing. Pain began shooting out of my arm (even moreso than before) and was coursing through my entire body. I howled in pain as Kai absorbed my strength. My head was spinning and blood was coming out of my nose again. I refused to lose consciousness, but it was getting harder. I was only human.

"Kai, _please_," the beg slipped past my lips before I could stop the words. I never thought I'd _beg_ Kai Parker for my life. But I didn't want to die. I didn't.

Kai tilted his head to the side. "Nighty-night, Juliet Gilbert."

The last thing that I saw was Kai's murderous look on his face as I blacked out for the last time.

* * *

_My eyes snapped open, and I quickly tried to assess where I was. It looked like I was in the middle of a battlefield. I had to avoid being hit by stray bullets and bombs. Tanks were surrounding me and bodies littered the ground. A closer look at the bodies revealed them to be the fallen bodies of all the people that I loved. My parents, Aunt Jenna, Vicki, Liz, Jo, and all the other victims that Mystic Falls had lost. _

_ I screamed as I tried running, but the bodies began multiplying. I was tripping over all of them as I tried escaping. Everywhere, I saw so many dead faces, even of those who _weren't_ dead. Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy, Damon, Ivan, Matt, Alaric._

_ Eventually I came to a skidding stop when I recognized one of the faces that had newly appeared. My heart stuttered as I walked over to the fallen body. There was only one, but it was a face I didn't want to see._

_ I turned the body around, and I was suddenly looking at my own face. The dead Juliet was covered in blood and cuts and bruises. It must be how I looked right now. But there was something different about her. I couldn't quite put my finger on it..._

_ Suddenly, a bright light began emitting from the dead Juliet, and I squinted hard as the light engulfed me..._

* * *

When my lungs could sense air around me, they gratefully gulped them in. My eyes slowly opened, but it was dizzying to do so. I shut my eyes again quickly to save them the pain of a bright light. The only thought process that I had was _I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive._ I thought for sure Kai was going to kill me. He wasn't the forgiving type.

When I finally managed to open my eyes again, the light once again invaded my sight, but this time I allowed my eyes to adjust. When they did, I noticed I was in a small room with four white walls.

_The hospital_? I thought in confusion as I tried to look around. I say "tried" because my eyes immediately started drooping, like I didn't have enough energy to keep them open. I let them close again, choosing instead to rely on my hearing.

My weak ears could pick up beeping sounds, so I was hooked up to a machine. My veins were cold, and I could feel something sticking out in my arm, so I was hooked up to an IV drip as well. There was a hard heaviness on my right arm, so I must have a cast on it.

All I could remember was the chaos that was the wedding and Kai trying to kill me. Why did Kai leave me alive?

I opened my eyes again to see someone walking into the room. It was a blurry figure, but I could eventually make out Stefan, who came running over to my bed. He grabbed my hand and began dropping kisses to it. "Thank God, you're awake," He murmured against my hand.

"What...happened?" I managed.

Stefan sat in the chair next to my bed, still tightly gripping my hand. "After Kai snapped mine and Caroline's necks and knocked Ivan unconscious, we woke up in Enzo's car. I demanded that Enzo take us back to save you, but he told me that he dropped you off at the hospital before he took us to where my mother was. It's all boring stuff that I won't go into."

"How long have I been here?" I asked, struggling against my eyes to keep them open.

"A couple hours, maybe?" Stefan thought. "You've been heavily sedated, though."

"That explains why I feel like I've been hit by a truck," I mumbled.

"Well, that, and, according to Enzo, you were practically dead when Kai left you and Enzo could get his hands on you," He said. "You had almost no pulse, there was blood coming out of everywhere from you, and you wouldn't wake up, no matter what he tried." He ran his hand through my hair. "Basically you're the equivalent of a battery right now. You lost all of your energy and now have to gain it back."

"What'd the doctors say?" I asked.

"Pretty much the same thing. If Enzo hadn't have brought you in when he did, you'd be dead right now."

"But that's what I don't understand," I said, shaking my head slightly. Well, as much as I could without it hurting too much. "Kai could've killed me if he wanted to. He practically _did_. But he knew to stop hurting me to the point where I wouldn't die, I'd recover. Kai's a psychopath, there must be something more to what he did to me."

Stefan, realizing I was right, nodded in agreement. We both lulled into a quiet silence as we tried thinking about what else Kai could've possibly done to me. It made me shiver with disgust at the thought of Kai doing something to me that I didn't even know. It made me feel like there was a parasite in my body that I didn't know about until after it starved me and made me look disgusting.

I looked over at my bedside table and gasped when I saw my phone. "When did that get there?" I asked as I nodded at it.

Stefan shrugged slightly. "Doctors said that they found it clipped to your dress."

"Give it to me," I said urgently. I couldn't lift my arms to grab it.

Stefan grabbed it and handed it off to me. I was an idiot-I didn't have a lock on my phone because my phone was never off of me. I unlocked it and saw that in my voice memos, I had a recording.

"I have a message," I whispered quietly. I looked up at Stefan, who's face showed that while he wanted me to play the message, he didn't want me to.

Shakily, I pressed the "play" button. "_Hello, Princess,_" Kai's voice said._ "If you're listening to this, then that means you're as smart as I think you are. Anyways, remember when I was absorbing your magic? Well, normally I would have stopped and left you alone, but I took all of your magic_."

My stomach dropped all the way to the ground. He...he did _what_?

"_Yeah, you heard me right. You aren't a witch anymore. Well, either that, or you're a pretty shitty witch. I just thought I'd be a good citizen and not let what you did to me happen to anyone else. Also? I did something else to you. I won't tell you that part, though. Where would the fun be in that? If you really think about it, I'm doing the world a favour. Anyways, I hope you have a good rest of your life, Juliet_."

The message ended, and I felt the blood in my veins run cold as my eyes welled up with tears. I blinked them away as I looked up at Stefan. "He...he didn't..." I tried. I dropped my cell phone and opened the palm of my hand.

"_Zapalit_," I tried, but nothing appeared, not a spark, not a flame, nothing. Despair built up in me as I tried again. "_Zapalit_." But still nothing. I looked over at Stefan, tears slipping down my face. "He did it. He actually did it. I'm not a witch anymore."

"You don't know that for sure," Stefan tried arguing. He grabbed my hand. "Kai said that you could have some magic left in you still. You'd just have to try and get it back."

I shook my head. "I can feel it, Stefan. I knew there was something wrong with me, and that has to be it. Also, Kai said that he did something else to me. What else could he possibly have done?"

Stefan couldn't answer because the door to my room opened, and Ivan and Caroline strolled in. When they saw me sitting up in bed they both ran over and pretty much crushed me to them in a joint hug.

"Whoa," I said as the sudden movement caused me to go very dizzy, very fast. "Still a little woozy here, guys."

"I'm glad you're awake," Caroline said as the two them pulled away from me. "How are you? Are you in any pain?"

"I'll go call the nurse, get you some pain killers," Ivan offered, and Caroline was nodding in agreement.

"Whoa, whoa, guys!" I protested. "You don't have to act like my parents, I'm fine."

They both breathed sighs, and Caroline turned to Stefan. "Did you tell her about Elena yet?"

"What about Elena?" I asked quickly, losing my magic going to the back of my mind. I looked at all three of them who were conveniently avoiding my gaze. I finally trained my look on Stefan. "Stefan? What's happened to Elena? Did she wake up?"

Stefan _still_ wasn't looking at me, so I reached over and grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at me. "_What happened to Elena_?"

* * *

She looked dead.

_No, not dead_, I reminded myself. _A magically induced coma so that she'll sleep until Bonnie dies._

I shut my eyes, gripping my IV walker tightly. I was still a little woozy on my feet, but I insisted that I stood on my own. I hoped that if I couldn't see Elena, then this wouldn't be real.

But I had to open my eyes eventually. And she was still laying there. Not moving.

Kai was a bastard. If I didn't feel like I was going to fall over, I would kill him.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked over to see Stefan standing there. I went back to look at Elena. Watching her sleep like that made me want to lean over and shake her awake, like I did when we were kids and I wanted to play.

"This can't be happening," I breathed quietly. "It just can't be."

"I know," Stefan murmured, wrapping his arms around me the best he could.

I swallowed the lump that was building in my throat. "What do we do now?"

"We take her home," Stefan answered. "And we say goodbye."

"What if we don't want to say goodbye?" I asked.

Stefan was quiet for a moment before he said, "We have to."

* * *

The next day, Stefan compelled the doctors to discharge me, even though I still didn't have my strength back. The only reason that I stayed overnight was because Stefan insisted, but nobody could successfully argue with me when I insisted on going home the next day to say my goodbyes to Elena.

"I can walk," I insisted as Caroline opened the door for me. She and Bonnie had picked me up and driven me back to the boarding house from the hospital. Even though I told Caroline I could walk, she and Bonnie still stood close by to grab me in case I fell over. My cast was a dead weight on my arm, but I ignored it in favour of what was going on now.

Everyone knew I wasn't a witch anymore, but everyone else also still had hope that I could bounce back from it. But they didn't know how I was feeling. I couldn't feel the magic in me, but I swore I felt something else wrong with me. Kai did something to me and it was killing me not knowing what.

The door to the boarding house opened before we got to the front, and I immediately went into Stefan's arms. We hugged for a brief moment before we pulled back, but I held on to his arm as Stefan ushered us into the parlor of the house, where Alaric, Matt, Ivan, and Tyler were already sitting, waiting for us. Then, Damon walked in, and it was time to say goodbye.

"Okay, let's do this," Damon said, and he gestured at Bonnie, Caroline, and I. "You three are up first."

* * *

Damon led us into the next room, where Elena was laying in a coffin and wearing a midnight blue dress. It looked like she was actually dead, but she wasn't, I had to keep reminding myself. She was asleep. I'd see her again, if I became a vampire.

All three of us were on the verge of tears as we looked at Elena, still, sleeping, gone.

"It's easy," Caroline explained to us. "We just take her hand... close your eyes... and let her into your thoughts."

Caroline, Bonnie, and I all held part of Elena's hand in our own, and we closed our eyes, our thoughts being sucked into Elena's.

* * *

_We were in Elena's bedroom, at our old house. The Gilbert House. Which held so many memories of love, laughter, sadness, and death, but honestly? I didn't want to be anywhere else in that moment._

_ When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on Elena's bed, surrounded by Elena and Caroline, who were both laughing. I couldn't help but burst into laughter too, because the only other alternative was to cry. _

_ Bonnie strolled in, holding a blanket. "Are we _seriously _having a sleepover?_" _She asked incredulously. _

_ "Come on! Hurry up and get in here," Caroline said. "I'm the one who gets to see her again-besides Jules, maybe. I mean, you should get the better goodbye."_

_ Elena, overwhelmed with her emotions, breathed, "Oh Care, come here." Caroline moved over and Elena enveloped her into a hug. "Take care of everyone while I'm gone, okay?"_

_ Caroline was full on crying now, but nodded against her shoulder. "I will, I promise."_

_ They pulled away and Caroline was still crying, but Elena had to keep going. _

_ "Promise me something,all three of you," Elena said, looking at us. She grabbed her journal and handed it to us. "Write it all down, everything that you accomplish in your life, every crush, when you fall in love, when you start a family, every time you fantasize about wanting to kill Damon..."_

_ That made us all laugh, but in a hysterical way. The laughter quickly turned into tears, though. _

_ "Write it down, so that one day when I wake up, I can read all about my best friends' lives and feel like I was there," Elena cried. We all automatically reached over and grabbed each others hands._

_ "I'm so sorry, Elena. Really, I'm so sorry," Bonnie sobbed. _

_ "This isn't your fault," Elena insisted with a smile. The smile made Bonnie cry even harder, and Elena squeezed her hand. "Hey. We'll both get everything that we want. We just can't have it at the same time," Elena said softly._

_ Elena looked over at Caroline and I, showing us with her eyes that she needed the last moment alone with Bonnie. We both complied, sliding off the bed and walking out the door. When we walked out, light began surrounding us..._

* * *

I gasped slightly as I was pulled out of Elena's mind. I was crying in real life, and I reached up to wipe my tears.

I stepped away so that Alaric could have his chance to say goodbye. I went over to Stefan, and he put his arms around me.

Alaric's goodbye didn't last very long, and when he pulled out of it, there was a sound of footsteps from behind us. When I turned around, I saw that it was Jeremy.

"Jer," I breathed as I ran over to him. I practically threw my arms around him and we hugged tightly. Alaric came over, and he joined our group hug.

"I-I tried to be here sooner," Jeremy insisted. "I wanted to be here for the wedding."

"I'm glad you weren't," Alaric told him. We all pulled away from the hug so that Jeremy could go and say goodbye.

He started walking over to Elena but stopped halfway. He turned around and offered me his hand, his eyes telling me that he couldn't do this alone.

I gave Jeremy a watery smile as I went over and took his hand. Squeezing each others hands tightly, we walked over to Elena to say goodbye to our sister.

* * *

_This time when I opened my eyes, we were at the stoner pit at the high school. I had to stifle a laugh at the location that Jeremy and Elena had picked. _

_ "You made it!" Elena squealed happily as she leaned over and hugged Jeremy tightly. _

_ "Yeah. Three cancelled flights. I could have walked here faster," Jeremy said._

_ I was sitting on the other side of Jeremy, so she didn't see me until Jeremy leaned back after his hug with Elena._

_ "You're here, too?" She asked._

_ "Apparently our baby brother needed me," I shrugged slightly, but I started crying again. "Also, you really thought I'd skip out on the last Gilbert siblings group hug?"_

_ Elena started crying again. "Oh, and I was doing so well. Ha ha." She sighed. "I'm sorry, I wanted to at least pretend to be strong for you."_

_ "Hey- when you do wake up, I want you to know that I spent my life doing exactly what I felt I was born to do. I was happy," Jeremy said._

_ We all reached over and grabbed each other into a Gilbert Siblings Group Hug. "I love you bitches," I said. This was what I said when the three of us first said goodbye when Jeremy left to go to college, but it still held its humour and we all laughed again._

* * *

I took a deep breath in when I opened my eyes again. I looked over at Jeremy, and the two of us hugged again. We stepped away from Elena so that Tyler could say goodbye, but instead of going back to Stefan, I walked past him so that I could go into another room.

I still had one mystery to solve.

* * *

_"Getting coffee," Ivan commented as he and Elena walked away from their favourite coffee shop that they often studied at together for college. "What a great way to say goodbye, huh?"_

_ "I certainly try," Elena remarked._

_ "So, how are we going to do this?" Ivan questioned._

_ Elena sighed as she sat down on the ground. Ivan followed and sat down next to her. "I never knew what it was like to have a big brother. And I'd always wanted to know. And when you came in, you taught me what it was like to feel the love and protection of a big brother, even though we haven't known each other for long and we aren't directly related. And I thank you so much for that."_

_ "No, Elena, I want to thank _you_," Ivan insisted as tears began rolling down his cheeks."My whole life, I never knew what the real love of a family was. And when I came into Juliet's life, you accepted me as your family without question. You helped to teach me the love of family and I thank _you_ for that."_

_ Elena smiled as she leaned her head against her brother's shoulder. "Teaching each other things is what family does, Ivan. And I'm glad you're a part of my family."_

* * *

Stefan Salvatore didn't want to say goodbye to Elena. It was true that he had moved on from her a long time ago and was happily in love again, but once upon a time he loved Elena with all of his heart. And saying goodbye to Elena would absolutely tear him apart.

But nevertheless, he walked over to Elena lying in her coffin, took her hand, and closed his eyes as a fat tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

_Elena and Stefan were standing in front of the Mystic Falls, and she reached over and grabbed Stefan's hands._

_ "Thank you for bumping into me that day in the hallway," She began. "I thought I would never be happy again, and then- and then I met you. You changed everything for me. You- you quite literally saved my life. I love you so much, which is why I can't wait to find out what new life you- you've chosen for yourself in sixty or seventy years when I see you again."_

_ "I can guarantee it won't be high school," Stefan attempted to make a joke._

_ It made the both of them laugh, but it was clear that Stefan wasn't happy._

_ Elena sighed as she gave him a smile. "Just be happy. And don't chicken out of asking my sister to marry you."_

_ Stefan's mouth dropped. "What-how-wha-?"_

_ Elena smirked knowingly. "I might not be a vampire anymore, Stefan, but I'm still perceptive. Oh, and the ringbox in your pocket is very obviously sticking out of your pocket."_

_ Stefan shook his head as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ringbox. "You always could see right through me," Stefan smiled._

_ Elena took the box out of Stefan's hand and opened it. She gasped loudly, admiring the-well, the huge ass _rock_. "Stefan, this is beautiful!"_

_ "Do you think she'd like it?" Stefan asked._

_ Elena gave him a look. "You could be proposing with a Ring Pop and she'd say yes." She handed him the ring back._

_ "Well, I was going to ask her after Alaric and Jo's wedding, but with everything that's happened..." Stefan trailed off._

_ Elena put her hands on my hips as she playfully glared at Stefan. "Stefan Salvatore, don't you dare pin the blame of my sister saying no to marrying you on me!"_

_ "Not just you!" Stefan said. "What happened to Jo, what Kai did to her..."_

_ "Wait, what did Kai do to her?" Elena asked._

_ "I don't know," Stefan answered. "But I just don't know if she'll say yes."_

_ "Stefan," Elena said exasperatedly, putting her hands on Stefan's neck. "Do you love my sister?"_

_ Stefan automatically nodded. "With all of my heart."_

_ "And does she love you?" _

_ "I'd like to think so."_

_ "Then, what are you scared of?" Elena asked. "The worst thing that could happen would be that she says no and makes you wait."_

_ Stefan nodded. "You know what? You're right, Elena."_

_ Elena smirked. "When am I never right?"_

_ They both burst into laughter, but it quickly turned into sadness as Elena said, "I'll see you soon."_

_ "I'll see you, Elena," Stefan said, and she let go of Stefan's hand for the last time in a long time._

* * *

I balanced my phone in my hand precariously. What the hell else did Kai do to me? My body didn't feel like it was going to spontaneously combust, but I was falling apart with jitters of what was going on in my body.

Footsteps altered me to someone walking into the room, and I stuffed my phone into my pocket as Stefan walked in. "Hey," He said as he sat on the table in front of me.

"Hey," I said. "Did you say goodbye to Elena?"

He nodded. "Yeah. And she gave me some good advice."

"I hear that's what she'd been doing," I said. "I never got the chance to say goodbye _properly_ to her, though."

"You can still do it," Stefan offered. "Damon hasn't said goodbye yet. He's planning on doing it when he takes her to the Salvatore Crypt. He hasn't taken her there yet."

"Well, that's great!" I said as I stood up to go say goodbye.

"Wait!" Stefan said, grabbing my hand and bringing me back down. "There's something we have to talk about first."

"Okay," I said uneasily as I sat down.

"How have you been feeling?" He asked. "After, you know..."

I took a deep breath in. "Different. I feel different. Being a witch was a huge part of who I am and I lost it. I'm not the same person anymore."

"Of course you are," Stefan argued, taking my hands. "You're still Juliet Gilbert. You're still the girl I love. I know you like the back of my hand."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, the urge to cry growing.

"We've been through so much together," Stefan started. "We've been best friends for a long time. At least, that was what I'd always seen you as. But truth be told, I'd started seeing you in a different light even before I was thrown into that quarry. And after we started dating, it was the most amazing feeling I've ever experienced. Not only was I with the most amazing person I've ever known, it was something about keeping it secret that helped make it so deliciously amazing. But when I screwed up and left, I truly thought that I could let you go. But I couldn't. You've made my life incredible in so many different ways, and I can't bear the thought of never being with you again. Our relationship will never be easy. But I'm willing to do it if you are. " He took a deep breath and stood up. "So, Eumelia Helena Christos, aka Juliet Jordan Gilbert," Stefan reached into his pocket, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw him take out a small black box. He dropped down to one knee and opened the box, revealing a beautiful ring. "Will you marry me?"

I thought I was done crying, but apparently I wasn't. Tears streamed down my face at an alarming rate. Marry Stefan? Be Stefan's _wife_?

This was all that I'd ever wanted.

I made up my mind as I quickly nodded. "Yes," I choked out. "Of course."

Stefan's whole face lit up as a beautiful smile graced his face. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" I sobbed.

Stefan stood up and then we were kissing like we never had before. We told each other that we loved each other in between kisses, and then Stefan pulled away. He took the ring out of the box, and I laughed and cried at the same time as he slipped the ring on to my left hand.

"It's a perfect fit," I commented as I quickly grew accustomed to the feeling of it on my finger. I leaned forward and kissed him again, but I pulled away as something came back to my mind. "Stefan? I know we just got engaged and everything, but there's someone I need to see."

Stefan nodded as he kissed me one last time. "I'll be here waiting for you when you come back. We have forever."

"Forever," I repeated.

* * *

I stood in front of Elena as my fingers inched towards hers. I didn't want to say goodbye, but I had to. If I didn't, I'd regret it for the rest of my life.

So, I took a deep breath and before I could lose my nerve, I reached over and grabbed Elena's hand.

* * *

_This time when I opened my eyes, I was in a house that I didn't recognize. I looked over my shoulder and saw Elena walking towards me with an amused look on her face._

_ "Okay, you're not being fair," Elena said as she crossed her arms. "Everyone else only got one goodbye. This is your third."_

_ "But is everyone else your sister?" I asked. "Does everyone else share the bond that only the two of us do?"_

_ She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She saw my teary eyes and shook her head. "No, no tears. If we cry we'll never make it through this."_

_ I nodded in agreement, sniffling loudly and wiping tears that were slipping out. She was right._

_ Her eyes travelled down to my hand, and she gasped loudly when she saw it. "Oh my God!" She ran over and grabbed my left hand, lifting the hand up. "He did it! He asked you! And you said yes!"_

_ I couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, he asked me. And yes, I said yes."_

_ Elena reached over and hugged me tightly. "My only regret is that I won't be there," She said, and I could feel her tears staining my shirt._

_ "You'll be there in spirit," I offered, pulling back. I looked all around me. "Where are we, anyways?"_

_ "Oh," She said, grabbing my arm and walking into the living room with me. "This is the life that I want you to have."_

_ It looked like a regular living room, and it was littered with pictures. I walked over to one of the pictures and saw that it was Stefan and I, dressed how we would be for our wedding day. _

_ "I want you and Stefan to be married," She started as I turned around to look at her. "And I want you two to have kids if you can. And, I want you to become a teacher."_

_ I gave her a look, but teacher sounded kinda nice. "A teacher?"_

_ She nodded. "A history teacher, to be exact. You've always loved history. Why not teach it?"_

_ I nodded as I walked over to her. "So, that's the life you picture me having?"_

_ "Yeah," She answered. "It doesn't have to be exactly like this, but I just want you to be happy and get everything that you want."_

_ "I'll never get everything I want, though," I said. "If I could, then you'd still be here."_

_ Elena's happy expression immediately turned into one of pain as she leaned over and wrapped me up into a hug. "Hey, it's not like we're never going to see each other again. If you become a vampire, that is. You're still planning for that, right?"_

_ I nodded against her shoulder. "But that won't be for a while. I think I'll look a lot different when you see me again."_

_ "But I _will _be seeing you again," She said firmly as she pulled away. _

_ I choked out a sob. "I love you, Ellie Elephant," I called her the nickname I always called her when we were kids._

_ She gave me a watery smile. "I love you, Julie Giraffe."_

_ I shook my head at her. "Giraffe _still_ isn't spelled with a J."_

_ She shook her head. "I don't care," She laughed. "You're going to be okay. I know you. You will."_

_ "I don't think so," I said. "I'm not a witch anymore."_

_ "What?" Elena asked. "How can you just stop being a witch?"_

_ "Kai absorbed all of my magic," I informed her. "He took every last bit of it."_

_ "Juliet, I'm sure you still have some magic in you," She protested. "And even if you don't, you're still the strongest person I know. After everything that's happened to you, you've come out fighting and on top. And magic has nothing to do with that."_

_ I took a deep breath. "I never thought of it like that. You're right."_

_ Elena smirked. "I never get tired of hearing that." A light bulb went off in her head, and she asked, "Hey, can I ask you for a favour?"_

_ I nodded. "Of course, anything."_

_ "Damon's going to completely fall apart without me," She said. "I know he will. I just want you to look out for him for me."_

_ "I will, I promise," I vowed. "Besides, he's going to be my brother in law. I'd have to look out for him, anyways."_

_ Elena laughed a little, before her face went super serious. "I love you, big sis."_

_ I leaned forward and wrapped her up into one final hug. "And I love you, little sis."_

_ We pulled apart, and I was still gripping her hand when I started walking backwards away from her. When her hand finally slipped my grasp, a bright light engulfed me._

* * *

I took a deep breath when I opened my eyes, and I burst into sobs. Elena didn't want to see me cry in her dream, but she couldn't see me right now.

I slipped down to the ground and buried my face into my knees and wrapped my arms around my knees, sobbing in my grief. I cried by myself for a few minutes, and when I was finished, I stood myself up, and looked into Elena's coffin. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Then, I turned around and walked away.

* * *

"You two really thought that I'd let you put Elena's body away without me being here?" I asked Stefan and Damon as I followed them to the Salvatore crypt. They were carrying Elena's coffin, and I offered to help carry it, but they both thought that it'd just make everything harder if I did.

Once we got inside, they put down the coffin. "You think she'll be safe here?" Damon asked.

"If word gets out that her body has the cure inside, every vampire who wants to be a human will come busting through that door," Stefan pointed out.

"Bonnie will spell it shut. We're under strict orders not to open it for anyone," Stefan informed us.

I looked over at Damon worriedly. "But...that means-"

"...That means it's time for me to say good-bye," Damon finished.

Stefan and I wordlessly made our way to the door to give Damon his privacy. Before I walked out, I went over to Damon and gave him a big hug. When I pulled away, he walked over to the coffin, and Stefan put his arm around me as we walked out of the crypt.

* * *

A thought ran through my mind. "Hey, Stefan?"

"Yeah?" He asked as we made our way back to his car.

"Remember when you proposed to me?" I asked, and my heart fluttered at the words.

He smirked as he kissed the side of my head. "Yeah."

I looked up at him. "Why don't we just go and do it right now?"

Stefan stopped walking as he turned around to face me. "What, like go to Vegas and get married?"

"Why not?" I asked. "If I've learned anything from today, it's to be happy. And right now, nothing would make me happier than going to Vegas and becoming Mrs. Salvatore."

Stefan thought about it, and he burst into a huge grin as he leaned down and pressed a long kiss to my lips. When he pulled away, he had the same look on his face. "Caroline's going to kill us, but let's go get married."

We grabbed hands and ran for the car, but I skidded to a stop.

"What?" Stefan asked.

"There's something I have to do first."

* * *

Caroline breathed in. And out.

"You don't have to do this right now, Caroline," Ivan said softly.

"No, no, I do," Caroline insisted.

They were standing in front of Caroline's house, the house that she hadn't stepped foot in since she first emptied it when she turned off her humanity. Elena told her to take care of everyone, and Caroline decided that she'd start with herself.

She took out her house key and unlocked the front door. As she did, a chill ran down her spine. She hesitated with her hand on the doorknob and reached behind her with her other hand. Ivan understood right away and grabbed Caroline's outstretched hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

With Ivan's hand in hers, Caroline was reminded that she wasn't alone. So, she turned the doorknob to her house and opened the door.

When she stepped inside, a sob racked her body. She covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed Ivan's hand harder. Ivan wrapped his free arm around Caroline, who took a deep breath and pressed on.

The house was still empty from when she cleared it, and she mentally started making a list of the things that she had to buy and do for the house. She couldn't help it, it was a reflex action. But it made her feel better.

She let go of Ivan's hand and went and sat on the empty floor of the living room. Ivan followed her and took a seat next to her. "How do you feel?" He asked.

Caroline took a deep breath. "It hurts. But it's bearable." She leaned her head against Ivan's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, Ivan." Caroline knew what she said next she meant with all of her heart, "I love you, Ivan."

Ivan's heart positively soared at Caroline's words. He turned his head to her. "What did you just say?" He asked, not quite believing his ears.

Caroline smiled at Ivan's reaction. "I love you, Ivan Christos."

Ivan burst into a huge smile as he grabbed Caroline's face and began kissing her. He pulled away from Caroline and leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Caroline Forbes."

Caroline turned her head so that it was in the crook of Ivan's neck, and the two of them just sat there for a while. Caroline finally broke the silence by saying, "I really need to repaint."

That made the both of them laugh. Caroline stood up to go open the window because it was getting hot but before she could get there, she spotted a piece of paper with some writing on it that wasn't there before.

She picked it up and turned to Ivan. "What is that?" He asked.

Caroline shook her head. "I don't know. I think it's a letter."

She unfolded the sheet of paper and began reading the words out loud.

"_Dear Caroline and Ivan,_

_ We left two letters for you: one at Caroline's, one at Ivan's dorm. Whichever one you get first, throw out the other. They both say the same thing._

_ We're doing something crazy. But, crazy is just what we need right now. _

_ We're going to go get married._

_ And don't even think about following us. We're already halfway to wherever we're going, and then we're going to Europe. We don't know for how long, and we don't know when-or if-we'll ever come back. All we know is that life is too short-and if we learned anything today, it's to not let life pass us by. We're not the same people as we were over two years ago when all of our lives got connected. We're all growing, all the time. We need to make our own futures. And that's exactly what we're going to do today._

_ We'll see you when we see you,_

_ Stefan and Juliet_

_AKA_

_The Salvatores_

* * *

**TBC...**

**Wow, this feels weird. **

**I have to say, this finale went through many different versions in my mind until I finally sat down and wrote it and I must say, I'm very satisfied with it. **

**If you guys have any questions about season 6 in general or the finale or season 7 (as even though I don't know what's going to happen, I have my own storyline cooking in my mind) please feel free to drop a question in the reviews or on my tumblr dreamonalinafanfiction. If I get enough questions in the reviews, I will do a Q&amp;A here on Fanfiction. **

**So, until October my good readers!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED FOR SEASON 7!**


	45. Season 7 Promo

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OC, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert", and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry to those who thought this was a REAL chapter (though I don't know why you would, because October is still a means away) but the new trailer for season 7 came out and it actually looks halfway decent. Who knows, maybe I'll have fun writing season 7.

I thought I'd do a Ripples of Reality edition of the season 7 trailer! I would have done it for season 6 but I wasn't caught up in time. This should hold you guys over until the new season airs on October 8th!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"You want to tell me who the hell is living in our house?" Damon Salvatore asks his brother, Stefan Salvatore.

"The deal has been _made_," Stefan tries explaining to his brother and his new wife, Juliet Salvatore, who in turn rolls her eyes at her new husband's failed explanation. "We don't mess with them, they don't mess with us."

_**Thursday, October 8**_

"This is the biggest mistake I've ever seen us make!" Juliet complains to her husband later while the two of them are in the house that they owned together. "Letting your mother and _my_ mother-in-law and her crazy Adams Family take over our town?! I have _not_ seen us mess up _this _bad before."

Stefan pauses, thinking about Juliet's words before strolling over to her with a large grin on his face. "Have I ever told you how hot you are when you're angry?"

Damon gasps as he sits up in a coffin.

Caroline Forbes gets thrown into a wall and slides to the ground.

"Mystic Falls is ours now," one of the Heretics announces. "As well as any human who steps foot inside it."

_**When it comes to family...**_

"Our mother's a _lunatic_," Damon reminds his brother.

"I thought we had a deal," Lily Salvatore huffed.

"It was a bad deal," Damon says to his brother.

_**nothing**_

"We need to stop them!" Bonnie Bennett insists to Enzo.

_**is thicker**_

"God I hate whiners," Enzo complains as he turns around to face Bonnie.

_**than blood**_

"If I may offer you some motherly advice," Lily said to Stefan. "Run."

Juliet gasps as she wakes up from a nightmare.

"If there was something wrong with you, you'd tell me, right?" Stefan asks.

Juliet screams and sobs as she crashes down to the ground due to the various hallucinations that are taunting her in her mind.

"Oh yeah, definitely," She promises him.

The town erupts into utter chaos.

"I need you to teach me how to make a bomb," Stefan asks as a bomb goes off.

"God please tell me you don't plan on teaching that to our future children," Juliet pleads as she shuts her eyes.

_**new enemies**_

"There's something evil," Bonnie says. "We have to destroy it."

Heretics with blood coating their lips twist their hands as they use their magic on Caroline.

"You're not real," Juliet mumbles to herself as she shuts her eyes, trying to fight off the image of Kai.

"Am I?" Kai asks her as he steps closer to her so that he is standing right in front of her. "Am I really just in your head, Princess?"

"Am I, JJ?" Katherine adds as she goes and stands on her other side. "Are we really the bad guys here? Or are we just showing you how you _know_ you're going to end up?"

Blood that is not her own drips down Juliet's lips as she shakily brought up her blood coated hands, gasping at the dead bodies that surround her feet.

_**new stakes**_

Damon jumps as a stake is driven through the coffin door.

"About how long do we have before this evil engulfs the world?" Damon speaks into the phone. "Just trying to plan my week."

"What kind of a family did I marry into?" Juliet asks herself as she looks up at the ceiling.

_**The Vampire Diaries**_

_**Season Premiere Thursday October 8**_

**Well let's see how this season treats us! Depending on this season's Steroline mess, plotlines may range from the same to totally different to accommodate. But I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda looking forward to season 7! We get to see Juliet and Stefan as a married couple! Who wouldn't want to see that?**

**We also get to see Juliet without her powers and having to struggle with the fact that once again she has to be protected since she can no longer protect herself. Throw in the Kai trauma and family issues (her marriage isn't going to be smooth sailing, as none of them truly are, especially in a family like the Salvatores) and you've got a reciepe for season 7!**

**Tune in sometime after October 8th 2015 for the season 7 premiere of Ripples of Reality!**


	46. Day 1 of 2200, Give or Take

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Episode Title: Day One of Twenty One Thousand, Give or Take**

**Author's Note: **Welcome back to Ripples of Reality, guys! Season 7 has officially begun!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Dear Elena,_"Caroline Forbes wrote in the diary that Elena had left behind after being put into a magically induced coma by Kai Parker. "_A few weeks ago you said goodbye and told us to write everything down so you'd feel like you didn't miss anything when you woke up. Bad news first: Damon said the best way to keep his mind off of you was to help Alaric grieve. So, in Damon fashion, he kidnapped Ric and flew him to Europe for a guy-getaway. I'm sure you can imagine how that's going._"

Caroline shook her head as she imagined the amount of alcohol Alaric and Damon were probably downing at that very moment. "_Obviously, we weren't gonna send him there without a chaperone. You guessed it-Bonnie. So, Damon's watching out for Alaric, Bonnie's watching out for Damon, and I don't know exactly who's watching out for Bonnie_."

_"Matt will officially be Deputy Donovan next week when he graduates. As happy as I am for him, a big part of me wishes that my Mom was here to see it," _She mused as her pen danced across the page. "_The town council gave her a bench. I've been visiting it, hoping I'll miraculously stop missing her less._" Caroline reached out and stroked the dedication where her mother's name was. "_I keep thinking that if I can heal, I can move on with my life, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Ivan's been really great though. He told me that he loved me, and I said it back, but I also told him that I still needed space, which he completely agreed with. What's great about Ivan is that he doesn't hover; he's completely normal around me. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing._"

"_Anyway, I covered Damon, Bonnie, Ric, Matt...who am I missing?_" Caroline's eyes wandered to the bracelet that sat on her right wrist, the one that Juliet had given to her for Christmas, and her eyes brightened as they widened. "_Juliet, right! I don't know if you're aware, but Juliet and Stefan got _married_. Yeah, married! The night Stefan and Damon put you into the Salvatore tomb, the two of them left a note for me and Ivan and ran away to Vegas and then who knows where else. I know they're married, and they send post cards every so often. They're still in Europe, I think. They don't stay in one place for more than a day or two, but the last postcard I got was from Italy-_"

Caroline stopped midword when two hands suddenly covered her eyes. She sighed as she lowered her pen. "Ivan, I can always recognize when it's you," she told him.

"Incidentally, you can't," A voice that was _definitely_ not Ivan Christos said, and Caroline's heart leaped with surprise as she spun around in her seat. Her eyes widened in disbelief as her jaw dropped.

Juliet Gilbert was standing in front of her. Her hair was longer, it was no longer blonde (though Juliet had dyed it back to brown right before Jo and Alaric's wedding) but instead had blonde highlights in it. Her skin was lightly tanned, and she was wearing a flowy blue dress with boots as she grinned down at Caroline. "Surprise!" She greeted.

"Oh. My. God!" Caroline said each word separately. She dropped the diary on to the bench as she ran around to get to her best friend. She wrapped her arms around her as she asked, "Juliet Gilbert, is it really you?!"

"Uh-uh," Juliet tutted as she pulled away from Caroline. She held up her left hand and pointed to her finger, where a large engagement ring and a wedding band sat. "That's Juliet _Salvatore_ now."

"Whatever!" Caroline squealed as she reached forward and grabbed Juliet's hand. "Oh my God, that thing is a _rock_! It looked bigger in the pictures that you sent." She dropped Juliet's hand as she grabbed her arms. "When did you get in?"

"About an hour ago," She answered. "Stefan's just at the house dropping our stuff off."

"Why didn't you call?!" Caroline demanded.

Juliet gave her a look. "Then it wouldn't have been a surprise, would it, Caroline?"

The blonde just shook her head before she reached forward and grabbed Juliet into another hug. "I just can't believe you're back!"

"I _had _to come back," Juliet replied. "Did you really think I'd miss Matt's graduation ceremony? He's going from Matty to Deputy Matty!"

"Right," Caroline laughed against her shoulder. She pulled back. "Well, I want to hear all about your trip. Have you had lunch yet?"

Juliet shook her head. "No, I just got off the plane and no _way_ was I going to be eating airplane food."

"Great!" Caroline grinned. "Let's go to the Grill. It'll be your welcome home lunch!"

Juliet grinned in return, but her grin faded for just a moment when her eyes locked with something behind Caroline's shoulder. Caroline looked behind her to see what could be worrying Juliet but saw nothing. "Jules, you okay?"

Juliet snapped out of her daze as she gave Caroline a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought I saw something. Let's go to the Grill, okay?"

* * *

It was good to be home.

Even though I _loved_ Europe and my honeymoon (holy crap, I don't think I'd ever had so much sex in such a small time frame) there was no place like home. The first thing that I did when Stefan and I got back to Mystic Falls was first, pry him off of me when he wanted to have more sex (our newly weddedness wasn't going to wear off any time soon), second was putting fresh flowers outside of the Salvatore tomb where Elena was sleeping, and third was go find Caroline. I found her sitting at the bench that the town council had made in Liz's name, and she invited me out for lunch.

After lunch, I made my way home-home being the boarding house. Stefan and I agreed that it wouldn't exactly make sense for the two of us to move out and get a place of our own when the boarding house was so big, so we decided to keep living there. And with no Damon around, it was ideal for a newly married couple.

"Honey, I'm home!" I called out teasingly when I walked in the door. I found Stefan in the kitchen with Matt and Ivan, and I ran over to them, wrapping Ivan up into a hug first, and then Matt. "It's so good to see you guys again!" I gushed.

"You too!" They both had said.

"By the way, next time you get married, please invite us," Ivan joked, and I gave him a look as I made my way over to my husband.

"Hey," I greeted as I kissed his cheek. I looked over on to the table and scrunched my eyebrows together when I saw the pictures that they were looking at. "Ugh, what the hell are you _doing_?" I asked as I eyed the pictures. There was a lot of blood and two bodies-it looked like a crime scene.

"It seems like your new mother in law is settling quite nicely into town," Matt told me.

"Here, take my phone and call Damon," Stefan said as he dug into his pocket and tossed me his phone. I caught it as he walked away to go get something. I typed in his password, then dialled Damon's number.

"What do you need, brother?" Damon breezed.

"What a beautiful way to greet your new sister in law," I said sarcastically.

"Jules?" Damon asked. "Are you guys back in Mystic Falls?"

"Yes, we are," I answered. "And you're going on speaker because Stefan wanted to talk to you."

Speaking of Stefan, he came back into the room and dropped a bag filled with stakes on to the table. "Listen, these bodies-they're not Lily's style. It's got to be the Heretics."

Right. The crazy half-witch, half-vampire family that Lily nearly tore everyone apart to get back.

"Your reception went a little fuzzy brother," Damon started. "Sounds like you said Mom got her family of crazies back? Can I have some details?"

"One of them had bite wounds, and the other was scorched beyond recognition," Matt informed him.

"Matt found the house that's been a foreclosure for the last two years had its power mysteriously put back on a few days after Alaric's wedding," Ivan added. "I just texted Caroline, and she's there staking it out right now."

"Listen, I need Ric to tell me how to make a bomb," Stefan said as he began pulling out the contents of the bag and examining them.

"God please don't tell me you're planning on teaching that to our future children," I pleaded as I shut my eyes.

"Better than teaching them how to make a spaceship with Legos," Stefan retorted.

"Hello?" Alaric all but slurred into the phone.

"Alaric? I need you to teach me how to make a bomb," Stefan explained.

"Okay, great, well the party's over. Time to go home," Ric replied.

"I'm literally staring at a treasure trove full of your fancy little weapons," Stefan informed him as he picked up one of the stakes that had its end filed down into an arrow.

"Yeah, exactly, now go use one," Ric spluttered.

"It's not that easy," Stefan tried explaining. "I mean, if we want to take them out, we have to do it all at once."

Ric sighed on the other end. "Alright, well, I'm gonna have to call you back from a less populated place, and then I'm gonna blissfully pass out and pretend that this never happened." He cut the line and hung up.

The four of us groaned. "Look, I know Ric's gotta grieve, but he's grieving in the wrong way," I blurted, saying what everyone was thinking.

Ivan checked his watch. "As much as I'd love to stay and help make a bomb to help kill vampire-witch freaks, I have to go to work," He said as he stood up. He kissed the top of my head. "Glad you're home, Jules."

"I have to go too," Matt said as he stood up. "I have to get these files back down to the station before someone realizes they're missing."

"I'll give you a ride," Ivan offered, and he and Matt packed up everything before waving goodbye to Stefan and I and leaving the house.

I sighed as I turned to Stefan. "We've been back in Mystic Falls for less than three hours and already the town is going to shit." I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I wish we were back in Rome right now. I can literally _taste_ gelato."

"You know, we _are_ alone now..." Stefan trailed off, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed as I kissed his cheek. "Not now. We have a family of Heretics to kill," I reminded him as I leaned back.

"Fine, fine," He grumbled, but he shot me a smile.

We eventually just Googled how to make a bomb, and I sat and watched Stefan for a while as he worked. All of a sudden, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head sharply in its direction. "I'll be right back," I told him as I pushed my chair back and stood up.

I followed where I had seen the movement. It led me down the front hallway and to the left. I saw the movement again, and I changed my pace to a run to catch up with a it.

I came to a stop in front of a closet door. Cautiously, I reached out and grabbed the doorknob, turning it gently to the side. I held my breath as I yanked the door fully open before I could lose my nerve.

And I _screamed_.

I screamed at the top of my lungs at the sight of the mangled dead body that was hidden in the closet. It was so horribly disfigured that I couldn't tell if it was a girl or a guy. Blood dripped down from large gashes in their chest, neck, and face, their eyes opened wide in terror. I stumbled backwards as I continued to scream.

Stefan was by my side in an instant. "Jules, what's wrong?" He asked.

"In the closet!" I pointed, my back hitting the wall. I slid down to the ground.

Stefan went over to the door and opened it. "I don't see anything," He said.

"What?" I asked in disbelief as I scrambled to my feet and marched back over to the closet. "How can you _not_ see the-"

I stopped mid sentence as I looked back inside the closet. Sure enough, all that was in the closet was a few coats and umbrellas. I pushed the coats aside as I began searching in the closet. There was a _body_ in here. I had seen it with my own two eyes!

"Juliet, are you okay?" Stefan asked, his forehead creased in concern. "What did you see in there?"

I was forced to shake it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just...I saw a spider," I offered lamely.

Stefan just chuckled as he leaned over and kissed my temple. "Next time you don't have to scream bloody murder," He called out as he began walking back to the kitchen.

Bloody murder.

He didn't know the half of it.

* * *

I checked a text from Caroline as Stefan as he tinkered with the homemade bomb. "Caroline says there are five Heretics-two boys, three girls and your Mom isn't home."

"Enzo?" He prompted.

I texted Caroline the same question and her reply came within seconds. "He's not there either," I relayed. "So I guess if we're gonna do this, this is the best time to do so." I grabbed the bomb and balanced it in my hands. "How does this thing work?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Stefan said as he took the bomb from out of my hands. "First of all, this is a _bomb_. Remember? A bomb?"

"Bomb. Bomb goes 'boom boom'," I said in a deadpanned tone to try and make myself sound like a caveman.

"Glad you're understanding," Stefan replied as he turned the bomb to face me. "This is the timer," He started pressing buttons, and the numbers changed. "We're gonna set it for sixty seconds."

"Right," I nodded, texting the information to Caroline. "I feel bad making Caroline do all of this."

"She volunteered," He reminded me.

"Yeah, I know, but I feel like maybe I should do it," I offered. "I like to think I'm a better actress than Caroline. Don't tell her that, though."

Stefan smiled gently. "Jules, you're not a witch anymore, remember?"

"So?" I prompted, feeling myself getting defensive.

"So, if something were to happen, you wouldn't be able to get out of the situation," Stefan finished. "Caroline's a vampire, at least she has the means to defend herself."

I felt disappointment fill me. "Right," I nodded, leaning back. "I've lost the means to keep myself safe, so I've lost my importance."

"No, Jules, that's not it," Stefan started as he turned to face me more. He grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I just don't think you should be jumping into the line of fire as often as you used to. It's like you'll be the Juliet before you came into your powers."

I gave him a look. "You mean the Juliet that needed constant protection? The one that couldn't do anything for herself?"

"That's not how I remember you!" Stefan retorted. "I think you could take care of yourself pretty damn well! You stood up to Katherine, you didn't fear Klaus, and you most certainly didn't let my brother get away with anything."

That made me feel a teeny bit better but not a lot. Still, for the sake of not creating drama, I gave Stefan a smile. "Okay. Fine." Something struck me. "Can you believe that we're in danger _again_? This town is unbelievably jinxed."

"Don't worry," Stefan said. "As soon as we blow up Lily's Heretics, we're out of here again. We can leave this town or we can go back and do more travelling."

"Really?" I asked. "Could we really just leave?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "You said it yourself. This town isn't really our problem and I'm sick of it being our problem. We need to have our own lives too, don't you think?"

I smiled lightly. "Yeah. I do."

He smiled too as he leaned over and kissed me, but all I could think about was the dead body in the closet that I had seen that wasn't really there.

* * *

Everything had gone according to plan: Matt and Caroline blew up Lily's Heretic family and things were peaceful.

The next week was Matt's graduation ceremony. I had dressed in my best, and Caroline and I went together (Ivan had to work again so he couldn't make it). We sat around the middle and waited for Matt to be called up and when he was, we hooted and cheered like proud Moms at her kid's soccer game (which Caroline and I practically were).

Suddenly, I felt a presence next to me, and I looked over to see Stefan's face right next to mine. "Hey, I think we have a problem," He said urgently.

"What?" I whispered as I looked around at the crowd.

Sprinklers suddenly went off and the people who were closest to the sprinklers got up and ran away to avoid getting sprayed by the water. "Sorry about the malfunction, folks," the new Sheriff apologized as the crowd laughed a bit.

Out of nowhere, the water was replaced by flames, and everyone started screaming as they got up to try and run away. Of course, Caroline and I tried evacuating people as the flames began jumping higher and spreading.

I dropped to the ground next to the body of a woman, and I was surprised to see that she wasn't covered in burn marks, but she had two holes in her neck that was smeared with blood that was freely dripping blood. "What the-" I started saying, but I was cut off by someone grabbing a scrunch of my hair at the back of my head and yanking it back. I screamed bloody murder as the vampire sank its teeth into my jugular and began draining me of my blood.

"_Evhas elebuk estupay_!" I gurgled, praying that the spell would work, but of course, nothing. Kai had drained me dry. I reached back and tried clawing at the vampire's face (I couldn't see who it was), but that didn't work either. I felt myself slowly getting dizzy from blood loss as I lowered my arm to the ground and felt myself sinking close to the ground.

"Jules!" I faintly heard, and I nearly cried out in relief as the vampire was ripped off of me. I dropped forward to the ground, my head getting cut from the concrete. My hand went to my neck as pressed my hand to my wound. I bit my lip to try and keep myself from screaming out in pain. I looked over to see Stefan a few feet away from me (he must have been the one to save me) struggling with the vampire who attacked me. He had blood all over his chin as he suddenly flipped Stefan over and grabbed the stake from him, raising it high over his head.

"Stefan, no!" I tried saying.

"Enough!" A voice called out, and I turned my head slightly to the side to see Lily walking over to us. She looked around at the mess the Heretics had made.

Stefan pushed himself away from the Heretic as he scrambled to his feet and ran over to me. "Jules?" He said as he gently picked me up. I bit my tongue to keep from whimpering as he laid me down in his lap, pushing my hair away from my face and pressing his own hand to the wound on my neck.

"I fought tirelessly to reunite us, found ways to coexist in this new world, sacrificed _everything_ to make us a family again," Lily started as she stood in the middle of her family of Heretics. "How dare you jeopardize that? All of you, the bloodshed ends _now_." Then she took her leave, the Heretics following her as she did.

Stefan turned back to me, biting into his wrist and holding it out for me to drink. I swallowed a few mouthfuls before pushing his wrist away from me, and I could feel the wounds in my neck and head begin to close up as I relaxed more into his chest. Stefan wrapped his arms around my front, hugging me close to his chest.

* * *

We went back to the boarding house where I stomped behind Stefan. "What the hell happened back there?" I thundered.

"I don't know," He shook his head.

"I thought we blew them sky high!" I protested. The dried blood on my neck was starting to make me feel more irritable. "You didn't let me help out with that and look what happened!"

"What, so you're saying that if you had helped they magically wouldn't have survived?" He questioned as he examined himself in the mirror.

"I am saying _maybe _if I had helped then maybe they wouldn't have magically survived," I corrected. I put my hands to my forehead. "God, so many people died today! All because of Lily and her stupid Heretics!" I paused as I finally took a good look at Stefan. "Are you looking for wrinkles?" I asked as I watched him look at himself in the mirror.

He rolled his eyes as he turned around to face me. "There's a splinter in my neck and I can't get it out."

It was my turn to roll my eyes then as I strolled over to my husband. "Then why didn't you say so before?" I grumbled as I tilted his head to the side to get a better view of his neck. I felt my anger die down as I began looking for the splinter in his neck. "Stefan, you and I both know that this town is gonna get torn apart in the war between us and Lily and her Heretics and don't you dare say that we aren't in a war because we _are _in one. And I don't want to leave anymore." I finally looked over to his face, and I stared into his eyes. "I know we agreed we'd leave, but Lily's Heretics are still alive and no matter how much I hate this town, I love it more. And I can't leave my home like this. There is no way Lily can control those five Heretics. I mean, you saw what happened today alone! What'll they do next?"

"I think I know how I can get through to Lily," Stefan said as I finally found the splinter, pinching it and yanking it out of his neck.

"How?" I asked as I examined the bloody piece of wood.

"Let's just say it's a good thing Damon isn't here."

* * *

"_Dear Elena_," I wrote. "_I know the first thing you're gonna ask me is 'how is married life?'. It's great, thanks for asking. But it seems like our honeymoon phase has been cut short._"

"_Mystic Falls is gonna be a completely different place when you wake up. We had to make up a story about what happened at Matt's graduation today. 'A mining fire erupted in the tunnels under the town'. Out of control fires, lethal carbon monoxide, the works. This town will trul believe anything._"

"_Lily's Heretic family's back. Kai brought them back when he got out of the Prison world. They're brutal, lethal, powerful, and worst of all, willing to kill anything and everything that moves. We had to protect our town. The impulsiveness of the Heretics that put the entire town in danger forced us to evacuate Mystic Falls. You heard me right- we kicked everyone in this town out. Stefan made a deal with Lily-we got everyone out, and anyone else who trespassed (other than me, of course, Stefan made sure) was fair game._"

"_Caroline and Stefan compelled everyone-went door to door, drove out businesses, boarded up homes and closed off the town to traffic. This place is a literal ghost town."_

"_We all sacrificed to make peace with Lily, but I think Stefan sacrificed the most-he gave up the house. So we've been packing up everything-well, I took a break to fill you in on what was happening._"

"_They want us dead. We want them dead. But whether we like it or not, we have to coexist. It's the only way to even attempt to establish peace with our enemies._"

I dropped the pen as I flexed my cramped fingers and stretched out my back, tilting my head back to comfort the strained muscles.

"You _could_ get up and help me pack, you know," Stefan commented as he kicked a box over to where I was in the Mystic Grill.

"I have to fill Elena in on what's happening," I told him. "If I don't, all she's gonna do is bitch about it when she wakes up in sixty years."

Stefan tossed me a beer and grabbed one for himself. We uncapped them and lifted it to each other in a silent toast before we both took sips.

Stefan's phone rang, and he dug it out of his pocket to answer it. "How's Europe?" He asked, and I knew he was talking to Damon. Stefan listened on the other line, and said, "Nah, I think it can wait until you get back."

The front door was suddenly kicked open, and we both turned our heads in surprise to see Damon. "Well, I'm back! Wanna tell me who's living in our house?"

Stefan explained the whole thing to Damon, who, of course, was pissed about it.

"The whole town would have been slaughtered," Stefan tried to reason.

"Then we kill them and call it a day!" Damon argued, uncapping a bottle of alcohol for himself.

"We tried that," I told him. "It turns out the Heretics have as many lives as a cat."

"You sent _Donovan _to go blow up a house, try harder," Damon responded, bringing the bottle to his lips and taking a swig.

"The deal has been _made_," Stefan tried explaining. "We don't mess with them, they don't mess with us."

"That's very good of you, brother," Damon mocked. "You should run for Mayor. Not that anyone would be here to _vote_ for you."

"Look, what's done is done, do _not_ mess this up," Stefan ordered him. He nodded his head at me. "You ready to go?"

I nodded as I grabbed the diary and pen and stood up. "Yup," I answered I turned to follow him out the door.

"Who convinced you to save a town full of people you don't give a crap about?" Damon asked, which made us stop and turn around. "'Cause it's not your idea, that's for sure."

"If you must know, it was his wife's," I informed him. "Now, would you please do us a favour and box that bottle up before you leave?" I asked him as I grabbed Stefan's arm, turning him around so we could leave.

"Stefan hangs up his hero hair for the girl," Damon taunted. "And I thought _my_ future was bleak."

The little vein in Stefan's chin was starting to pop up, but he turned to me and said, "You wanna go wait in the car?"

I looked between the two brothers and nodded. "Yeah, sure." I grabbed the box that was in his hands before turning around to say, "Goodbye, brother," to Damon, and then I walked out.

I sat in the car and waited for Stefan to come out. He came out a few minutes later, and he slid into the driver's seat. "What did you say to him?"

"The truth," He answered as he turned the car on.

* * *

Ivan threw the other end of the sheet to Caroline, who caught it easily and draped it over the other side of couch in her home. "I can't believe we're doing this," Caroline muttered to him.

"Well, it was the only idea that made sense," Ivan reminded her.

"I know, I know," She huffed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm just a control freak giving up control-I'm delicate."

"Well, what would Sheriff Forbes do?" Ivan asked her as he covered another chair.

Caroline couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she thought of her mother. "She would protect human life at all costs."

"Your mother was a smart woman," Ivan commented, and he gave Caroline a smile. "Just like her daughter."

Caroline couldn't help but smile in return, but the smile faded once she thought of her mother again. "I thought I would heal from my mom's death. I really thought that time would pass and that I'd be ready to move on. But, she's my mom and I'm never gonna stop missing her."

"She's your _mom_, Caroline," Ivan said. "No one expects you to. You've been taking it day by day and you've been doing a great job. You're more put together than most people would be in this situation. You're _strong_, and that's what makes you better. You're happy during sad days, you're sad during happy days. That's what makes you _you_."

Caroline's heart rose with each word from Ivan. It was amazing how a single word from this boy could lift her spirits sky high. If it wasn't for Ivan, she wouldn't be as put together as he thought she was. _Ivan_ made her better. _Ivan_ helped make her strong.

"I'm gonna go board up the front door," He told her as he turned around to go do so.

"Hey, Ivan?" She called out, stopping him. He turned around to face her. "I _am_ happy. I _am _strong. _You_ make me happy. _You_ make me strong." She walked closer to him. "One of my best friend's is gone, my mom's dead, and the whole town is destroyed but when I'm with you, I'm happy."

The growing grin on Ivan's face at Caroline's words was what made her lean over and press her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her back. And for a moment, they both lived in bliss.

* * *

"This is the biggest mistake I've ever seen us make!" I complained to my husband as he drove us back to Matt's place, where we would stay for the night until we could figure out a place of residence (Stefan and I were starting to think that maybe us living in the boarding house while Lily and the Heretics lived there was just a spell for trouble). "Letting your mother and _my_ mother-in-law and her crazy Adams Family take over our town?! I have _not_ seen us mess up _this_ bad before."

Stefan paused, mulling over my words before shooting a grin at me. "Have I ever told you how hot you are when you're angry?"

I gave him a look. "You aren't cute."

"Of course I am," He said. "That's why you married me."

I snorted as we came to a stop in Matt's driveway. "Sure," I retorted as I opened the door and stepped out.

"Listen, whatever happens, you have me," He told me as he walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my back. "Even if you don't want it, I'll protect you. I promise."

I smiled a little as I leaned my forehead against his. "I'm sorry about that. I know you're just trying to keep me safe."

"I love you Mrs. Salvatore," Stefan smirked at me.

"I love you too, Mr. Salvatore," I responded, and I leaned over to kiss him.

We broke apart after a few seconds and began walking up to the house when I remembered that I left the diary in the car. I told Stefan to go on ahead and that I'd be right in. I went over to the car, unlocked it, and reached in and grabbed the diary.

When I pulled myself out of the car and turned to shut it, I froze in place when I saw a face that I thought was long dead. "_Kai_?" I breathed in horror.

Kai waved at me with a bloody hand. "Hello, Princess."

I was too distracted by the sight of Kai in front of me to notice that someone was coming up behind me. I only knew after I felt myself being struck in the head with a hard, blunt object, and I dropped to the ground, dead to the world.

* * *

**TBC...**

**How about that for a season opener?**

**This season's gonna be good!**

* * *

_**Review Responses...**_

_**grapejuice101: **_I hope this chapter is making you interested in season 7!

_**thisdarkpassenger**_**: **I like it too! Jefan as a married couple is gonna be all over the place because they're not exactly the most _normal_ couple. I don't know how I'm gonna handle the Steroline this season either (gag). Thinking of Jefan is the only thing that gets me through the scenes when I first watch the episode. Thanks for reviewing!

_**CarlyLynn:**_ Hey, it's October! Thanks for reviewing!

_**MissImperfect1996:**_ That is something that Juliet would say LOL.

_**adela:**_ Here's the update! I hope you loved it!

_**Guest1:**_ WOOHOO INDEED GUEST, WOOHOO INDEED.

_**Guest2:**_ Does this answer your question? LOL. I can't let her be happy all the time, I like to watch her struggle a little! Does that make me a bad person?

* * *

**Next Chapter...**

_**Never Let Me Go...**_

ONE STEP AHEAD – When an impulsive decision by Damon threatens to unravel a carefully negotiated deal between Stefan and Lily, he has no choice but to make amends with his mother before things spiral further out of control. However, Lily remains one step ahead and carries out a harsh plan that hits Damon where it hurts most. Elsewhere, after returning to Whitmore College, Alaric turns to Bonnie for help with a mysterious and potentially dangerous artifact he has obtained, while Matt is forced into making a risky life or death decision. Meanwhile, Juilet, who finds herself a pawn in Lily and the Heretics' plan for retribution, uncovers a shocking detail about Stefan's past.


	47. Never Let Me Go

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Here we go episode 2!

EDIT: Yes, I realized that I wrote the first flash forward in third person's POV and then the second in First Person's, but I have gone and corrected it. I apologize for any confusion!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_**Three years from now...**_

* * *

I nervously tapped my fingernails against my teacher's desk, occasionally looking over at the clock that hung in my history classroom every now and then. My fingers itched for my phone (I probably had a text from Caroline telling me that her news broadcast had gone great and that I needed to help Caroline pick out a colour for the napkins for her wedding) but what I really wanted to see was a text or a missed call from my husband letting me know his situation.

"Mrs. Salvatore?" I heard from one of the students, and I turned my head in the student's direction. I had let my students have a free period because I was too stressed to even begin to _think_ about teaching a lesson.

It was Lacey, one of my best students. "What?" I asked.

"Are you okay?" Lacey asked. "You seem kind of...off."

Of course Lacey would notice. I almost never gave study periods-not even when I was absent from school. "I'm fine," I shrugged.

"You're not," Piper piped up. "You keep staring at your phone."

"I am _not_," I denied.

"Yes, you are," Duncan, a male student, retorted.

I huffed, realizing that these students saw right through me. "It's my husband. He's...travelling on business, and I haven't heard from him in a really long time and I thought he was going to call and I just...I'm... worried."

"There's no reason to be," Lacey offered. "I'm sure he's fine."

_He's on the run from a vampire hunter__, _I thought in my head. _He's so far away from fine it's ridiculous._

* * *

_**Present day...**_

* * *

When I finally came to, a hammer pounded away at the back of my head. I tried shaking my head a little to get rid of the feeling, but it remained as I tried lifting my hands. Dread filled me as I realized I couldn't, and I gently peeked my eyes open to see that my hands had been tightly bound with rope, and Enzo was kneeling in front of me, tying my hands to the chair I was sitting in. It took a second for me to realize that I was in one of the holding cells in the boarding house.

"Enzo, you son of a bitch, let me go!" I demanded, but my throat was so dry it came out like a croak.

"Come on, Princess," I suddenly heard from by the door, and I snapped my head to the voice's direction and cowered when I saw Kai. "Those ropes look _bleak_. A four year old could get out of them, I'm sure you can too."

Based off of Enzo's complete lack of reaction to Kai, I was the only person who could hear and see him. Did that mean he wasn't real? Or could he be using magic?

"Sorry, love," Enzo said, which made me turned my attention back to him. "I'm just following orders."

"Why are you doing this?" I mumbled, wincing as the ropes cut into my skin.

"Someone killed Malcolm," Enzo started. "Lily needed to retaliate."

"Ugh, when did you become Lily's bitch?" I asked as I gasped at the pressure the ropes at my ankles were put on.

Enzo rolled his eyes at me. "Look, you should be lucky that _I'm_ the one who grabbed you. I don't want to think about what would happen if the other's did."

"Remind me to give you the friendship of the month award," I bit as I squirmed in my seat.

"Well, I _am_ the closest thing you have to a friend in here," He replied.

"You _were_," I spat. "I don't _believe_ you, Enzo. I saw past the bad in you and became your friend and _this_ is how you repay me?"

"Hush now," Enzo said as he was doing the finishing touches.

"Listen, you can get out of this," Kai's voice was suddenly right beside me, and I flinched a little when I saw that his face was right beside mine.

"_How_?" I grumbled in my mind.

"When Enzo gets up to leave, stop him by asking him to loosen your ropes a bit," He instructed.

"_How_?" I asked again.

"I don't know, you're a girl, figure it out," He dismissed. "Anyways, once he does, do your best to try and grab him. It doesn't matter what part of him you can grab, just grab a finger if you have to. I'll do the rest."

Before I could ask what the hell he meant, Enzo stood up to leave. Against my better judgement, I followed Kai's instructions. "Enzo, wait!"

Luckily he did, and he turned around to face me. I tilted my head to the side a little as I gave him a little smile, batting my eyelashes. "If you're gonna keep me imprisoned here the _least_ you could do is make sure I don't get rope burn. Wouldn't Lily be really upset if I was damaged goods?"

He considered it, before rolling his eyes and grumbling, "God I hate whiners," under his breath and walking over to me. He bent down in front of me and began loosening the ropes.

Once my hands were loose enough and his hands were right beside my own hands, I reached forward and grabbed his hands, holding tightly.

Suddenly, Kai's hands were right on top of mine and Enzo's, and I felt a surge of power begin to course through my veins from mine and Enzo's hands upward. Enzo's face contorted in pain as he looked up at me in confusion. The power kept coming from Enzo as he began sinking slowly to the ground and eventually he dropped to the ground fully and his hands slipped out of mine.

"Stand up and break the chair," Kai instructed next.

Even though it hurt a little since my muscles were still stiff, I had enough power in me to stand up and then fall backwards, breaking the chair into pieces. It hurt my back like hell, but I ignored it as I grabbed a broken chair leg. I crawled over to Enzo (who was having trouble regaining his strength), said, "I hate whiners too," and stabbed him in the stomach. He groaned in pain as I shakily got to my feet and began running out of the cell.

Unfortunately by the time I got to the front door, one of the Heretic bitches, Mary Louise, was there. I came to a skidding stop in front of her.

"Leaving so soon?" She mocked.

I instantly began looking around me for an escape route, and when I looked behind me, I saw another Heretic, Nora. "I'm wearing your friend's jacket, though it's a little big on me. Do you think your friend has this in a bigger size?" Nora asked.

"Grab a hold of her and throw her out the window," Kai whispered in my ear.

"_What? How the hell am I supposed to do that_?" I practically screamed at him in my head. "_She's a freaking Heretic. She's a witch and a vampire! I'd be dead twice!_"

"You might not be a vampire, but you _are _a witch," Kai said.

"_I'm not anymore, remember? Thanks to _somebody," I snarled bitterly.

"What do you think we just did to Enzo? Come on, look down at your hands," Kai urged. "Can't you feel the magic?"

Reluctantly I did, and he was right. I felt the usually tingly feeling in my fingertips that I did whenever I called my magic to use it. I didn't know how the hell I managed to get magic or what happened, but I slowly looked up at Nora with a smirk on my face.

"Why so happy?" She asked sarcastically.

I gently lifted a shoulder. "This is why," I answered, before I thrust my hand out and imagined grabbing her throat. She gasped as the air left her lungs, and I reared my arm back and threw her against the window. I felt victory surge through me at the sight of the cracked window as Nora slipped down to the ground.

"No!" Mary Louise said, and I turned around just in time to grab her by the throat using magic too before she could do anything to me. I clicked my tongue. "You love human blood?" I asked as her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "Let's see you choke on it."

Using my other hand, I twisted my hand and imagined the blood in Mary Louise's stomach come upwards and out of her mouth. Quickly, blood began dribbling out of the corner of her mouth until it came out full force, spewing out of her lips like a geyser had gone off.

I didn't have a lot of time, so I quickly turned my hand to the side and Mary Louise's neck broke. Her head sharply turned to the side, and she dropped down to the ground.

"Damn," I heard, and I looked over to see Kai admiring my handiwork. "I should stop calling you 'Princess' and start calling you 'Queen'."

Rolling my eyes at him, I took off for the front door. My hands had just landed on the doorknob and twisted it when I felt a sharp poke and pressure in my neck, and I went crashing to the ground again, losing consciousness.

* * *

When I woke up this time, I was standing up. My neck was sore and there was a heavy weight on my arms. I groaned in pain as I gently looked up to see that my hands were bound in chains and tied to a railing in the ceiling. I shuffled from side to side, since my feet weren't fully on the ground, just the tips of my toes were. I saw the back of Mary Louise's head sitting at one of the desks, and I barked out, "What the hell did you do to me?"

"What Lorenzo _should_ have done," She answered. She held up a small syringe. "Sleeping drug. It works wonders on you humans. Though, I _do_ wonder if you're human. That little show you put on was quite impressive, I have to admit."

Unfortunately, I couldn't feel any magic in me anymore. Not a single bit, so any hope of escape via magic was gone.

"Tell me what you want with me," I demanded as I swayed.

Mary Louise turned in her seat to face me, and I grinned in triumph as I realized that she had had to change her clothing due to the blood that was on it before, and she had the tiniest speck of blood in her blonde hair. "We have a burial to go to. My girlfriend thinks her outfit has to be fashion forward. I disagree. What do you think?" She turned her head and called out, "Nora! Show us!" She turned her head back to me. "Help us and maybe I can find a small stool for you to stand on."

"Wow, what a bitch," Kai muttered from beside me. "She wasn't this bad in the Prison World. Then again, she was one of only three girls there, but I never had a shot with her because of the whole lesbian thing."

"I feel silly," Nora responded.

"I'm sure you look beautiful, my love," Mary Louise replied as she stood up.

"Nobody wears this anymore," Nora complained.

"You wore that dress to Queen Victoria's funeral, it's _stunning_," Mary Louise reasoned.

Nora stepped out, wearing the most hideous looking dress I'd ever seen in my life, topped with a matching hat.

"Somebody call the fashion police because I can spot at least twenty different violations in that hat alone," Kai said, and I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me.

Nora whipped her head around at me, and my laughter instantly died as I looked away from her.

"See?" Nora said, stomping out of the room.

Mary Louise took a deep breath in and then grabbed an eyeliner from the desk and marched towards me. "I asked for advice, _not_ mockery."

"Like my advice really matters to _you_," I scoffed. "But if you really need it, my sister and I used to live here and we had way better style than that dress and I know for a _fact_ that I have my 'funeral' dress in the closet of Stefan's room."

Mary Louise paused for a moment. "I'm curious, what do you think of this colour?" She asked as she held up the pencil.

"It's beautiful," I offered. "I'm sure it'll go great with your funeral dress, you know, if you wanna dress trashy to a funeral."

Her eyes widened in surprise at what I had said to her. "You don't scare _me_, Mary Louise. I lost five parents, been harassed by my sister's evil doppelganger, kidnapped by the most powerful Hybrid in the world, once again harassed by the world's very first Immortal, tormented by a psychopathic Siphoner, and stabbed in the chest with a piece of wood by my evil mother-in-law." I leaned my face closer to hers. "You really think I'm gonna be scared by _you_?"

"Atta girl, Princess!" Kai cheered on.

I leaned back again. "You tell Lily that if she wants me dead then to just get on with it because I'm getting really tired of waiting. Oh, and if she _does_ kill me, somehow word will get to my best friend Klaus-you know, the most powerful Hybrid that I mentioned before?- in New Orleans, who will tear each and every one of you limb from limb and then sew you back together only to rip you limb from limb again. And what's better, he'll do your girlfriend in front of you so that you'll be forced to watch her die first." I tilted my head to the side a little. "Or you could get lucky and he'll do you first so that Nora will have to watch you. I'm sure I could manage some way to leave a note and tell him to do Nora first. Psychological pain is more painful than physical pain, am I right?"

I had no idea where those words _came_ from. All I knew was that I was starting to feel pissed off and not afraid of the consequences of my words.

Unfortunately, Mary Louise felt the same way, because she stabbed me in the shoulder with the eyeliner pencil. I withheld my scream of pain as I felt the blood starting to trickle down my side. She then stabbed me again in the side of my stomach using a pair of scissors and then again in my other side with a letter opener. Still, I never gave her the satisfaction of watching me cry or scream as I stared her right in the eye until she left. After she left, I let out a small squeal of pain as I felt the areas around my wounds pulse with every heartbeat.

"I have to admit that was impressive," Kai announced as he moved from my side to standing in front of me.

Now that we were alone, I answered out loud. "Do us both a favour and figure out how to get us out of here."

He waved his hand away. "Oh, I'm sure your husband is already cooking up a plan to save you."

Stefan, I hadn't even thought of him! I told him I'd be right back inside last night. Why was it taking him so long to get to me?

Kai pointed a finger at me. "Now don't go doubting your husband or your marriage is gonna have _serious _issues."

"Shut up," I grumbled as I tried not to shiver.

"Ouch," I suddenly heard, and Kai disappeared only to show another Heretic, Valerie. She was wearing a black dress and had her arms crossed. "Nora or Mary Louise?"

I gritted my teeth. "Mary Louise," I grumbled. "What the hell kind of name is 'Mary Louise' anyways? You're either Mary, or you're Louise."

"You got lucky," Valerie said as she turned around and walked to the desk. "_She's_ the nice one."

"Not if you mock her girlfriend," I replied.

"You _didn't_," Valerie said as she came back to me, a large book in her hand.

"You should have seen what she was wearing," I explained. Valerie set the book down and slid it under my feet. I nearly cried out in relief as I relaxed my feet. "That dress was just _begging_ to be burnt."

"The Queen Victoria one?" Valerie asked as she stood up, crossing her arms. "You shouldn't have said _anything_, it would have been hilarious."

"You don't like them, do you?" I deduced.

"I did once," She answered as she grabbed the handle of the letter opener and yanked it out of my side. I gasped in pain as blood began trickling out of the wound again. "I made a snide comment about Nora's hair-" out came the scissors "-and Mary Louise poisoned my food for a month."

"She's dedicated, I'll give her that," I said, the final word turning into a gasp as Valerie took out the eyeliner pencil from my shoulders. I looked down at my freshly bleeding wounds. "You should have kept them in, I'll bleed to death."

"I can help," Valerie offered, and she raised her hand.

"No, no vampire blood," I refused. "Especially Heretic blood, who knows what that could do to me."

Instead of biting into her wrist, Valerie incantated a spell, and the wounds in my body closed up until all that was left was dried blood.

"Why the hell are you in here?" Mary Louise's voice demanded, and Valerie spun around.

"Just looking for this," She answered, holding up the bloody eyeliner. "See, I've heard of this new fashion trend called 'Hooker Chic'. I figured you'd have something. Thanks," She replied, and she turned and left the room.

"What did she say to you?" Mary Louise asked as she walked towards me.

When I didn't respond, she kicked the book out from under my feet and I gasped in surprise. Mary Louise put her hand on me and my skin sizzled as it came into contact with her. She gasped in pain as she drew her hand back, only to try again, and then again.

"That bitch!" Mary Louise cried out as she marched over to the desk. She grabbed a syringe and before I could do anything, she stuck the thing in my arm and pressed down on the plunger. Once again, I felt my vision going blurry as my head hung forward, and I was out again.

* * *

I eventually came to, and when I opened my eyes, I nearly cried in relief when I saw Stefan. "Stefan? Is that you?" I scrunched my eyebrows together. "Or are you just another hallucination?"

"What the hell did they do to you?" Stefan asked as he came towards me.

"You mean before or after they drugged me with so much sleeping drug I should be dead?" I questioned as he came around me.

"I'm gonna get you out of here, don't worry," He told me. He tugged on the chains and they quickly gave away. He caught me in his arms before I could fall to the ground, but he just ended up dropping me anyways when his skin started to burn.

"What the hell was that?" He asked as he crouched down next to me.

"I think one of the Heretics made my skin vervain," I answered. "I don't know how long it's supposed to last."

Stefan left and returned with one of my trench coats. "The Bitchy Heretic was torturing me, and the one that spelled me told me that she could help. At first all I thought she was doing was healing my wounds, but then I realized she made my skin vervain."

"It's okay, we just have to get you out of here," Stefan said as he held out the coat for me to slip my arms into without having to touch him. "Once we do, we'll call Bonnie, and we'll figure out a way to get rid of it." He tucked his hands under my arms and pulled me up. "But for now, we have to avoid skin to skin contact."

"Damn, does this mean I can't kiss my own husband?" I complained, but it managed to get smiles on both of our faces.

Stefan reached into his pocket and took out his phone. "I'm going to call Damon and tell him that we're ready."

All of a sudden, the ground underneath our feet began shaking. "Do you feel that?" I asked.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know," I answered, and my body was suddenly struck with a weird pain. "Ow!"

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't know," I said again, and suddenly Stefan's body was pushed out through the window, shattering the glass there.

"Stefan!" I called after him, and I felt myself being lifted into the air as the ground continued to shake violently. I crashed into the door, banging my head on the back of it. I didn't have the time to try and nurse my newfound headache because I was dragged down the stairs until I landed on the ground floor.

"Okay, enough," I heard, and I looked up to see Enzo. "Sorry, love."

* * *

I was right back where I started but fortunately, I wasn't tied up like a cow. I paced the floor as I knotted my fingers together.

"Stop pacing, you're making a draft," Kai said as he lounged in a chair.

"I wouldn't be pacing if I wasn't trying to think," I answered as I continued to pace.

"Come on, you're smarter than this," Kai said. "Figure out a way to get us out."

"Who's the psychopath, here?" I retorted as I paused in my steps. I crossed my arms. "_You_ get us out."

"Trust me, I would," He answered as he toyed with a pen. "If, you know, I had my own body."

"_Or _if you had a brain," I muttered as I covered my face with my hand.

"Hey, do I look like a Scarecrow to you?" He asked in an offended tone.

"Don't get cocky," I suddenly heard from behind me, and I spun around to see Nora walking into the room. "You're still spelled into the room, but I figured that you could use some space to stretch your legs."

"How thoughtful," I said to her as I crossed my arms.

Nora smirked as she held up a book. "You should give this a read," She said as she tossed the book on to the desh beside Kai's feet. Of course, she wouldn't know that she had dropped it beside Kai's feet.

"And that is...?" I wondered.

"I know you think Valerie was doing you a favour, that _she's_ the nice one, but trust me, she's the worst of all of us," Nora warned. Her attitude suddenly changed. "It's Stefan's. She never goes anywhere without it."

"Why does Valerie have Stefan's journal?" I asked, trying not to get jealous. Hey, a woman was indirectly trying to move in on my man, sue me.

"It's the first thing she looked for when she realized we were trapped in 1903," Nora answered. "The entry for July 15th, 1863 should tell you why."

Kai waited until Nora was gone before he turned his head to me. "Well, are you gonna read it?"

"No," I answered, trying to keep my eyes off of the journal.

"Why not?" He asked. "It seems important."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you were right earlier," I told him. "I can't go doubting my husband or our marriage won't work."

"Come on, aren't you the least bit curious?" Kai taunted as he pushed the journal closer to me.

I hesitated. "No," I answered, though my voice wavered. I cleared my throat. "Why should I waste my time being curious about something that happened in 1863?"

"You _are_ curious," Kai confirmed.

My strength died. "I _am_ curious," I allowed, and I ran forward, grabbing the journal and frantically flipping to the page that had July 15th, 1863's entry.

_I just had the strangest encounter outside the county fair. I met someone. A girl. We only spoke for a moment, but her name is Valerie, and she may be the most wonderful girl I've ever met._

I stopped reading, not wanting to look any further.

"Well, what does it say?" Kai wondered as he dropped the pen and pushed himself out of his chair. He walked around me to read over my shoulder. He skimmed the entry that I had and made a low whistle. "Wow. Now you _have_ to kill her."

"You've got that right."

"Can I help?"

I looked over at him. I know I shouldn't be trusting him, even if he _was_ just my imagination or a hallucination or whatever he was, but I felt the corners of my mouth go up a little. "Who better to ask?"

* * *

_** Three years from now...**_

* * *

Finally, the bell had rung, dismissing the students from my class. I snapped back to attention. "Uh, good work, guys! Monday, we'll continue with our note on the war of 1812."

As soon as every student had left, I grabbed my phone and dialled Stefan's number. I listened as it rung, but I suddenly heard something from outside in the hall. I lowered my phone away from my ear, before settling it quietly down on my desk. I reached slowly into my pocket and withdrew my key ring. I located the right one and stuck it into the lock on my top drawer. Painstakingly slowly, I turned the lock and opened the drawer. I reached inside and grabbed what I was looking for, not once taking my eyes off of the door. I took out a wooden stake and closed the drawer again. I kept my grip tight on the stake as I cautiously made my way over to the door. I opened it and stepped outside.

It was the end of the day on a Friday, so all the students were already gone, wanting to get home to start the weekend. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, but I went up and down the hall on both sides of my classroom door, but I didn't hear or see anything. I got back to my classroom and dropped my arm that was holding the stake up. Maybe I just heard a student leaving?

I turned to walk back into my classroom to gather my stuff and go home, but I stopped when I suddenly felt a stabbing feeling in my back, and I gasped as I looked down at my stomach to see the tip of a stake sticking out. I turned around to see who had staked me, but the pain was too much and I dropped down to the ground.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Shit is heating up!**

* * *

** Review Responses...**

_**Prettygirl16**_**: **Thank you!

_**adela**_:Thank you so much! Here's the next chaoter!

_**Guest1**_**: **IKR?

_**LMarie99**_**: **Thank you! Sorry today's episode was a little late, but better late than never!

_**CarlyLynn**_**: **Thank you so much!

_**grapejuice101**_**: **Thanks! I'm gonna try and update the story every Friday (the day after the episode airs) but depending on how busy I am the episode will then come on Saturday.

_**RHatch89**_**: **Thank you so much!

_**WickedlyMinx**_**: **Wow, you don't know how much that means to me! For you to read a fanfiction of a show that you quit just because I'm writing it? It means so much like you don't even know.

_**You Are My Escape**_**: **Aw that's so cute and nice! Thank you! Married Juliet and Stefan are just perfect, aren't they? I know they haven't had much of a chance to be domestic and stuff, but who knows? Maybe we'll flashback to their honeymoon... ;)

_**David Fishwick**_**: **Thank you so much! Here's an update!

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Age of Innocence...**_

In the aftermath of a clever plan orchestrated by Lily, Damon sets off on a road trip with Bonnie and Alaric in search of leverage they can use against his mother. Meanwhile, Juliet, who is being held hostage by the Heretics, learns some shocking information about Valerie's past while continuing to be surrounded by Kai's influenctial presence. Also, Stefan learns a few unexpected details about his own past from Lily. Finally, Alaric turns to Bonnie for her help after coming clean about a secret he's been keeping.


	48. Age of Innocence

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry this chapter is a couple days delayed, but here we go!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

As much as I wanted to tear Stefan's journal apart, I didn't in favour of continuing to read it. I sat on Stefan's bed and flipped through it, restraining myself from ripping the paper.

"When are we gonna kill her?" Kai asked from beside me where he was laying down.

I looked over at him. "Patience. I can't kill Valerie while I'm still a prisoner here. A) I'll never get out of here and b) Lily will have me killed."

"Good plan," Kai said as he pointed at me. "But I know you, Juliet Salvatore. I'm in your mind. You're gonna do something to mess up that plan."

I rolled my eyes. "Please. I have _some _control."

Our conversation was interrupted when a music box appeared on the night stand next to me, playing a quiet song as the ballerina spun around. The music box then disappeared, then reappeared in front of me. I squinted at it in confusion and before I knew what was going on, the box exploded like a bomb with such intensity that it threw me backwards and off the bed. I dropped down to the ground and heard the annoying giggles of Mary Louise and Nora.

"Very funny, Nora and Mary Louise!" I called out. I turned my head back to look at Kai. "I'm going to kill those bitches too."

"I would hope so," Kai responded.

All of a sudden, the sound of a buzzing cell phone tore my attention away from Kai, and I scrambled forward to grab it and hurriedly answered it. "Hello?"

"Juliet?" Stefan's confused voice said.

"Stefan!" I breathed in relief.

"How are you on my phone right now?" Stefan asked.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and to my surprise, it _was_ Stefan's phone. I put it back to my ear ."You probably dropped it yesterday after you got sucked outta here."

"How are you? Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

"I've been magically condemned to your room by two magically evil bitches but other than that..." I trailed off as I put my chin in my hand.

"Well, I'm spelled into your room by a menagerie of mean girls, but other than that..." I trailed off.

"I know. I'm still trying to figure out a way to get into the house," Stefan said.

"It's okay, I'll be okay," I told him. I looked behind me at Kai, who waved teasingly. "It's not like I'm bored. Just keep Damon from killing any more Heretics."

"I will. Lily's only keeping you there to turn me against Damon. I'll convince her that I hate his guts, and she'll have made her point," Stefan replied.

"Ask him about Valerie," Kai urged, suddenly appearing beside me.

"No!" I refused, putting the speaker part of the phone on my shoulder.

"Ask him!" He said again, grabbing the phone from my hand and putting his hand on my throat.

I suddenly felt compelled to ask Stefan about Valerie. "Who's Valerie Tulle?" I spilled. "You wrote about her in your journal from 1863. She probably found a copy in the Prison World she was in."

"Are you talking about one of the Heretics?" He asked, and he was clearly stunned that I was asking about her.

I nodded, though he couldn't see me. "Yeah. She's got dirty blonde hair and blue eyes? She's one of the crazy Heretics..."

There was a sudden grip on my phone and the hand squeezed tightly, despite being burned by the vervain on my skin.

"It's Valerie, flip her over!" Kai prompted.

Dropping the phone and fighting against the pain in my hand, I reached behind me and grabbed Valerie's arm. She suddenly howled in pain, and I looked behind me to see that Kai had his hand on top of mine where I grabbed Valerie. I felt power beginning to surge through my veins, and I knew I was stealing her magic. Keeping a tight grip on her, I tucked my shoulder forward and rolled her over me. She landed on the ground with a satisfying _plop_.

I stood up and put my heel on Valerie's (who was failing to recover) neck and pressed hard enough so that a trickle of blood trailed down her throat. "Never try that again," I told her before lifting my foot and stomping hard on her windpipe, shattering her neck and temporarily killed her.

I brought my foot away from her neck and tsked. I lifted the heel up to see flecks of blood on it. "She got blood on my shoe," I pouted.

"Just take hers," Kai suggested.

Using my magic, I moved my hand to take her shoes off, and I sat down on a chair in Stefan's room and put them on my own feet. "It's lucky we're a match," I mused as I moved my feet around, trying to get comfortable in them.

After Valerie finally came too, I held up the journal from the chair I was sitting in. I cleared my throat. "_Valerie was like a breath of fresh air. I'd been suffocating, and hadn't even realized it..._" I read in a teasing dramatic voice.

"Damn, you're a bitch," Kai commented. He pointed at me. "I like it."

"How do you have that?" Valerie groaned as she tried to move.

"Nora gave it to me," I answered as I waved it around. "Now, will you tell me what was up with you and my husband or shall I pry it out of you by stepping on your throat?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Valerie teased as she sat up.

I gave her a look. "That's kind of why I asked, bitch." I held up a hand. "On the other hand, why am I so interested in knowing about some girl that brushed her hand against Stefan's like a bajillion years ago?"

Valerie smirked, clearly amused. "'Some girl?' I wasn't just some girl to him, Juliet. I was the first love of Stefan's life."

I snorted. "Sure. And I'm a wood nymph."

"I'm telling the truth, Juliet," Valerie insisted. "I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't prepared for how taken I was with him. He was gorgeous and sweet..."

"I know, that's two of the reasons why I married him," I interrupted her with a scoff. I took great pleasure in seeing the line in her forehead harden when I mention that Stefan was married to _me_. "I'm sure once you compelled him to see that you were a sweet little girl he wrote those things about you in his journal."

The Heretic rolled her eyes. "I suppose that would have been easier had I actually had the ability to compel people. I wasn't a vampire back then. I was just a witch, rejected from her coven for being an abomination of nature because I had no power of my own. The only magic I had was contained in an amulet, to be siphoned in times of need."

Valerine launched into her tale of how she was sent by Lily to check on Stefan with some dude named Julian who was dating Lily at the time. She and Stefan had met and flirted and had to elude Julian by Valerie using her magic to let them run away to be together in secret.

"And?" I prompted.

Valerie smirked. "None of your business!"

Right, like I really wanted to hear how Stefan had felt her up (he might have been a gentlemen but he was still a sixteen year old boy in 1863). "So you put that burning spell on me not to keep Mary Louise and Nora from touching me, but to keep my husband from touching me." I tutted. "Please, make your jealously less obvious," I leaned forward a little. "It's unfitting for a young lady."

"Well, since you're so curious... Please, allow me to continue," Valerie said.

She continued her tale and apparently, she and Stefan had slept together, which I _so_ did not need to hear.

"A girl and a boy having sex out of wedlock?!" Kai fake shrieked. "The scandal!"

"It was his first time," Valerie mused. "I'm sure you've been someone's first, so you know how it feels to have a completely unforgettable place in someone else's mind."

As I considered my next words, I smirked. "Yeah, I do. Because I'm Stefan's _first_ wife. And you might have been his first time, but I'll always be his last." I held up my hand, where my engagement ring and wedding band proudly sat. "He even put a ring on it."

Valerie gritted her teeth but continued her story saying she got caught by Julian and then was forced to leave Stefan, but first promised that the two of them would be together again eventually. "Looks like the joke's on you, then, Valerie. Haven't you heard of people moving on?"

Valerie ignored me as she continued. "Julian was in a hurry to get to England. He convinced me to lie to Lily, tell her that Stefan was happy. Believe me, Julian had a way of convincing anyone to do anything."

I opened the journal to an interesting section I had found that contained a letter that Valerie had sent Stefan. "'I promised I would find my way back to you. I long to be in your arms again'," I read aloud.

Valerie immediately got up to take the journal from me, but all I did was stick out my hand and my magic created a barrier separating me from her. "How are you using magic?" She growled.

"I don't know," I answered. "But I like it." I pushed her back, and she collapsed against Stefan's bed. "Don't try that again." I advised her.

Valerie huffed but settled back on to the ground as she thought back to her memories of Stefan. "I wanted to run away with him. I sent him a telegram telling him to meet me Friday at noon. He waited and waited for me. With every passing footstep, he would turn, expecting to see me. Eventually, he accepted that he had been abandoned all over again. And then he walked home, under the cold and distant stars."

"I can't believe you would do that to him," I said to her. "How could you hurt him like that? Give him false hope?"

She glared at me. "There was a change of plan." Her demeanour suddenly changed, and she straightened her back. "I'm done talking to you about this," She announced as she spun around on her heel to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute, no you're not!" I refused, putting the journal on the table next to me and standing up. "You can't just leave Valerie!"

But she was already gone.

I growled as I kicked a chair over, but I was forced to right it because I needed spot to sit down in. Who the hell did she think she was?

Kai challenged me to a game of chess to pass the time, but I ended up just knocking all the pieces over as I grabbed Stefan's journal and started pouring over it again. I need to know what happened between him and Valerie. I didn't want to be a paranoid wife, and I knew I was acting really brave in front of Valerie, but I couldn't help it.

Kai had the good sense to leave me alone in my anger, because when I looked up after a while of silence I noticed that he was no where to be found. Instead, what I saw was Lily walking up to me. I straightened up my back as I watched her walk in. "Is Valerie here?" She asked.

_Who do I look like, an idiot's keeper_? I thought in my mind. "She was, but I think she left. I can't sense her in the house anymore."

"Sense?" Lily asked as she walked closer to me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I can't sense her magic," I responded.

"Wait, do you have magic?" She asked.

I lifted a shoulder. "I don't know. Sometimes I have it, sometimes I don't. But I can feel Mary Louise and Nora's presence in the living room, and I could feel Valerie's until she left."

Lily hesitated. "May I ask you something?"

I shrugged. "I'm not going to stop you."

"Your mother passed away, correct?" Lily asked as she walked closer to me. "Your birth mother, and your adoptive mother?"

"And my Aunt Jenna, and my father, and my biological father," I retorted. "What's your point?"

"You just..." She trailed off. "You've been through so much, and at such a young age. You were probably ecstatic over the fact of finally getting another mother-even if it was just a mother-_in-law_-and ended up with me."

"No offence, but I thought you were dead for a very long time," I told her. "I didn't think I'd be getting a mother-in-law at all, much less you. Besides, you should be concerned with your actual sons before your daughter-in-law. I mean," I flipped through the journal in front of me. "Stefan wrote about you constantly. At least one mention every entry. He loved you so much, even after your supposed 'death'. He never _stopped_ loving you. You can see for yourself. " I stood up and walked over to her, holding out the book in front of me. She cautiously took the book from me. "You were his whole world, you were his whole _life_, and he blamed himself for your death."

Her eyes travelled down to the book, before she turned to the door. "Nora! Remove the barrier spell please."

My eyebrows shot up as she turned back to face me. "As of this moment, Mrs. Salvatore is no longer a prisoner."

"Is this some kind of trick?" I asked. "Am I gonna be bombarded with fireworks as soon as I step out of the door because I do _not_ put it past Mary Louise to do that."

"No," Lily answered. "This is a reward for Stefan's honesty. And..." She gave me the smallest smile. "A favour from a mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law. Now, please go before I change my mind."

I didn't need to be told twice. I made my way to the door, but I stopped and turned around to face Lily. "I'm not about to start calling you 'Mom'," I told her. "But thank you."

And with that, I got out of the house as fast as I could.

* * *

I stopped at Matt's place to change first (I was not okay with wearing the same clothes for so long) and then made my way to the Lockwood mansion, where Matt had told me that Stefan and Damon were staying until Damon had been exiled, so it was just Stefan there. Caroline and Ivan had been staying at Caroline's, but I'd visit them later.

I covered myself from head to toe (gloves, beanie hat, long sleeves, jeans) and entered the Lockwood house, where I found Stefan sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Juliet!" He cried when I got to him, and he actually managed to hug me because I was covered so well. When he tried to kiss my cheek, his lips were burned by the vervain.

"My cheeks were the only thing I couldn't cover," I explained to him. I gestured to my body. "But, I _am_ melting."

"How did you escape?" He asked.

"I didn't," I answered. "My mother-in-law set me free."

"She did?" He asked in surprise.

I nodded. "I guess today's just been an epic surprise of Valerie proportion," I said as I went and sat down in front of the fireplace.

Stefan scoffed in disbelief. "Look, I was just a kid when I met her. I was a troubled kid who was mourning his mom. I was young and human."

"I was just a kid when we met," I reminded him. "I was a troubled kid mourning her mother, too. _And_ I was young and human."

"You were _not_ troubled," Stefan corrected as he came and sat in front of me. "_And_ you were with Klaus before the two of us were together, so you shouldn't even be talking."

I chuckled when he mentioned Klaus. "Fair enough," I allowed. A gentle smile crossed my face. "Do you remember when we first met?"

He smiled too as he put his hand on top of my gloved one. "Of course I do, _Capulet_," He answered. "You were carrying a lot of books, and you bumped into me, which made you fall on to the ground. I picked up your books, you mentioned that you had Tanner, and we walked to class together. You mentioned Juliet Capulet, and then I asked you if you didn't find it romantic at all that someone could love you so much that they wouldn't even want to be parted from you in death, and you said-"

"'I'll have to get back to you on that'," I said along with Stefan, which made the two of us laugh. I tilted my head back a little. "God, could you think back then that the two of us would end up _married_ to each other?"

He shook his head. "No, but I think that's the beautiful part of it," He reached forward and cautiously moved a piece of hair out of my face. "You crept up on me."

"Can I ask you something?" I suddenly blurted, and he nodded. "Now that Valerie's out of the prison world, does that change anything for you?"

He rolled his eyes at me, and I felt the need to defend myself. "I'm sorry! But naturally she's gonna try something to try and win you back and I want to know if I should be worried or not."

"It doesn't matter if she tries to win me back," He answered. "I won't let her."

"So you're telling me that you don't wonder at all what would've happened if Valerie had shown up that day?" I asked him.

"Not anymore," He shook his head. "That's my past," He squeezed my hand. "And all that matters is that you're here, safe, with me. You are my future."

I smiled, my heart swelling with love for the man that I married. "Damn, I really wish I could kiss you right now."

Stefan smiled. "Maybe you can just settle for putting your head on my shoulder."

"I like that idea," I told him as I carefully leaned my head on his shoulder. Thanks to my hat and Stefan's shirt making a barrier, there was no burning. "Man, some honeymoon phase, right?"

"Don't worry, we have a lot of time to have our honeymoon phase," Stefan assured me as he cautiously put his arm around me.

"Forever," I agreed, snuggling into his side as well as I could. Right here, with my husband by my side and hope in my heart, I knew we'd be okay.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Sorry if it was a bit short but Juliet was still really great in it!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Review Responses...**

_**thisdarkpassenger:**_ Lotta drama between Juliet and Valerie, and probably more to come between them! Don't worry, bit by bit we'll start seeing what's wrong with Juliet, and it's even mentioned just a hint in this chapter. This is how she reacted to Valerie and Stefan! She's not too worried, but she's still a little concerned. Can you really blame her, though? I'm just waiting until she finds out that Valerie was once pregnant with Stefan's kid!

_**grapejuice101**_: Thank you! And so sorry I couldn't include that stuff this chapter, I didn't have enough time!

_**RHatch89:**_ Thank you!

_**LMarie99: **_THANK YOU! AND I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN! JULIET HERSELF HAD TO KEEP HERSELF FROM KILLING VALERIE.

_**CarlyLynn: **_Thank you! Here's your update!

_**WickedlyMinx:**_ Yup, they're still married! Thank you, and here's more!

_** :**_ FUCK YEAH SHE SLAYS! She even knocked out Valerie this episode instead of the other way around!

_**Guest1: **_I feel you, Guest, I feel you.

_**David Fishwick:**_ Thank you! Here's your update!

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**I Carry Your Heart With Me...**_

HEAVEN &amp; HELL BALL — Just as Damon thinks he's gained the upper hand in his fight against Lily, an unexpected turn of events leaves him scrambling for a plan B. Elsewhere, when the fallout of Damon's actions gains the unwanted attention of Mary Louise and Nora, Stefan, Juliet, Caroline, and Ivan are forced to spend the night distracting the girls at Whitmore College's Heaven &amp; Hell ball. Finally, after suspecting that she's up to something, Enzo sets off on a mission to find out what Valerie is hiding, while a plan set by Alaric and Bonnie leaves their worlds turned upside down.


	49. I Carry Your Heart With Me

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I am so sorry this chapter has been delayed! If you wanna know what happened, I caught double pneumonia and I was in the hospital for a while, but I'm back now and hopefully the updates will get a bit more frequent!

Thank you to those who have been patient during this time!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

I was in dire need of a girl's day out, so I invited Bonnie and Caroline out to lunch. I was at the little cafe on Whitmore campus, waiting for my friends to show up. My hands were sweating underneath my gloves, but I had to wear them in case I accidentally came into direct contact with Caroline. The last thing I needed was to hurt her.

"Jules!" I heard, and I looked over my shoulder to see Bonnie and Caroline running over to me. I stood up and wrapped Bonnie up into a big hug.

When Bonnie let me go, I moved to hug Caroline, but she side stepped me at the last minute. "Vervain skin!" She protested.

"Right," I said as I moved and sat down, Caroline and Bonnie sitting on either side of me.

"Hmmm... I missed this," Caroline commented. "Just us girls, hanging out."

"I would have suggested that we do a sleep over, but I don't want to burn Caroline's skin," I offered.

"Yeah, how does that work?" Bonnie asked as the waiter came over. We gave our orders and after he left, I answered her.

"I can't touch vampires," I explained. "Their skin will burn like it would if vervain touched them. I'm walking vervain."

Bonnie sighed. "I'll work on unraveling the spell when I-"

"No!" I protested. "I mean, yeah, that'll be great, but for now let's not talk about magic. Let's talk about fun things!"

Caroline's eyes brightened. "Like we should all go shopping for Halloween costumes and worry about magic later."

"Kind of worrying about magic already. Alaric think we can reunite Jo's spirit with her body by using some sketchy Native American resurrection stone. My job is to crush his dreams in the most gentle way possible," Bonnie said.

Caroline's eyes widened. "Wow! Okay... You don't even think it'll work?"

"I don't think it _should_," Bonnie corrected. "The Other Side is gone, there's no more Gemini prison world, which means Jo's spirit... is probably in peace."

Caroline sighed. "Our lives are weird."

"Tell me about it," Bonnie and I both chimed, which sent the three of us into laughter.

I missed my girls.

* * *

Since Stefan and I agreed that it would be easier for the two of us to live separately for the time being (meaning while I was a hazard to him) I moved back into my dorm at Whitmore. Technically, I never actually _left_ (I left a lot of my stuff there) but I was sleeping there and doing my homework there (did I mention? I was studying to become a high school history teacher).

I walked out of the dorm room after gathering some of the books I needed for my next class and smiled when I saw Stefan standing in the hallway. "Hello, you," I greeted as I strolled over to him.

"Hi!" He said back. "I brought you some coffee."

"It's like you're a mind reader," I told him as I reached over to grab the coffee from him. He flinched when my hand touched his fingers, his skin burning.

I immediately drew my hand back. "Sorry! I guess I forgot my gloves back in the dorm."

He smiled. "Ah, it's okay. No contact. It's not your fault."

"Did you talk to Valerie yet about undoing the spell?" I asked him.

Stefan's expression turned sheepish. "Uh, I haven't spoken to her yet..."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "You've been avoiding her, haven't you?"

"No," Stefan answered. "There's nothing to avoid."

I gave him a look. "Don't lie to me, Mr. Salvatore. She was your first love, and she just dumped you. You don't even wonder why?"

Stefan shrugged. "She hasn't contacted me in the four months she's been back, so I'm assuming she's as over it as I am."

"That's a big conclusion you're leaping to, considering the fact that she spelled me so that I literally can't touch you," I said, holding up one of my hands and wiggling my fingers.

"Unfortunately, she's the Heretic that I am the least concerned about right now," Stefan sighed.

"Oh my God," I huffed. "What happened now?"

"Let's just say that it involves two bored mean-girls on a campus full of easy targets. But, I have come up with a genius plan to keep them occupied while Damon sorts out his Oscar problem," Stefan explained.

A little smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Tell me more."

Stefan pulled out a folded up flyer and held it out in front of me. I took it from him as I scanned the words, "HEAVEN AND HELL BALL".

"The Whitmore Halloween dance?" I questioned warily. "It'll be full of potential, innocent victims..."

"And distractions!" Stefan argued. "All in one place. Easy to babysit. I think the hardest part will be feigning enthusiasm."

"Okay, there is no way Mary Louise and Nora are gonna fall for this," I told him, but something clicked in my mind. "Unless they come up with the idea." I leaned forward a little towards Stefan. "Here's the plan."

* * *

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Caroline asked as we handed out flyers to the Heaven and Hell Ball.

"Two Heretics freshly out of a 1903 Prison World looking to have some fun," I explained to her as I handed out another flyer. "It'll work."

"It'll be hard to convince Ivan to go to this thing," Caroline said as she passed out another flyer.

"Come on, it's _you_," I told her. "You've got him wrapped around your little finger."

"I do not!" She protested, but it was half assed. "Okay, maybe I do."

The two of us laughed, but we stopped when Mary Louise and Nora showed up. Nora stopped walking and yanked a flyer out of Caroline's hands, just as according to plan.

"What's this?" Nora asked.

Caroline and I exchanged looks. Caroline used to be a mean girl, and although I wasn't proud of it, I used to be a little helper when it came to it, so we were both trained in manipulation. "Oh, nothing. It's just some silly 'Heaven and Hell' ball. Stefan invited us, but I don't know. These days, Halloween just seems like an excuse to get drunk and show skin..." Caroline said, giving Nora a pointed look.

It worked, because the two girls exchanged looks that showed they were interested in going. Seeing my chance, I took the flyer back from her and smiled fakely. "Sorry, there's a 'No Heretic' rule. Halloween's only for people who dress up as psychopaths!"

Mary Louise scoffed. "As if we'd want to drink cheap beer out of plastic and then brag about it all over the internet."

Nora rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's comment. "As if you'd even know how to do that. We're going!"

Caroline and I looked at each other in disbelief. "To a college party?" Caroline asked, and the two of us laughed.

"Yeah, okay, I wish you luck with that," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nora asked, offense clear in her tone.

"Oh, nothing! No, you two will have no problem whatsoever fitting in," I filled in.

"Seriously, you guys have nothing to feel self-conscious about," Caroline added. She turned to me. "Let's get out of here, Jules."

"With pleasure," I agreed, turning around to leave.

Just as we were about to walk away, we were stopped by Mary Louise's voice. "Did I say you could leave?"

Caroline and I stopped and shared victorious smirks, but we dropped them as we turned around and looked annoyed instead.

"What do you want?" Caroline asked.

* * *

We took Mary Louise and Nora back to our dorm so that we could help them with costumes, and I found Mary Louise examining herself in the mirror wearing one of my dresses. I rolled my eyes slightly. "I see _my_ dress looks nice on you," I fake complimented.

[Mary Louise, looking slightly nervous, turned towards me, and I handed her a red clutch that matched her dress. "I haven't been to a party since New Year's 1902. Be honest- will I make a proper modern devil?"

I gave her a look. "Let's just say it shouldn't even be a costume for you," I said as I walked past her. "Okay, I helped you with an outfit. Will you just siphon this stupid vampire spell off of me now?"

Mary Louise fake pouted. "Aw, are you prohibited from showing physical affection for your significant other? Try being gay in 1900."

I growled with frustration. "Look, you _hate_ Valerie. Why don't you just take the stupid spell off, if anything just to piss her off?"

Mary Louise actually looked a little _nervous_. "You're right. I don't like Valerie. I've had to endure two lifetimes with that conniving shrew, and I've learned that when it comes to Val? You don't get on her bad side."

"God, why is everyone so scared of this bitch?" I wondered aloud. "I took her down, no problem."

"Yeah, and that probably put you on her bad side," Mary Louise pointed out.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm married to Stefan. I'm already on her bad side. I have nothing to lose."

* * *

I took Mary Louise over to where Caroline and Stefan were helping Nora with her costume. "Oh, Nora!" She sang when she got there, me a few steps behind her. I gave her a different dress after she declared that she didn't like the first one, pairing with red devil horns and red satin gloves that went up to her elbows. She twirled around to model it, looking at Nora expectantly. "Well?"

"Hmmm. Not bad!" Nora allowed.

Mary Louise frowned. "Not bad is not good."

"No, you look nice! It's just... kind of plain. But, I can sex it up for you," Nora offered.

"I'm comfortable like this, Nora," Mary Louise insisted. "Don't!"

But Nora didn't listen and ripped the neckline of the dress so that it showed her cleavage. That just made Mary Louise more insecure, and she became upset. "Stop it!" She growled.

"Oh, come on. You're supposed to be a devil!" Nora said gently.

"You want a devil?" Mary Louise asked. She thrust her arm out and magically grabbed a pair of scissors that was on a table and launched it behind her so that it hit a male student who was coming down the stairs, impaling him in the stomach.

"Oh my God!" Stefan, Caroline, and I all said as we ran towards the student. Caroline yanked the scissors from his stomach as Stefan fed him his blood.

"It's fifteen minutes past the hour. Distraction period over," Mary Louise hissed as she turned around and stalked off.

"Mary Lou! Wait!" Nora called after her girlfriend as she ran after her, leaving Caroline, Stefan, and I sharing worried looks.

* * *

"I'm surprised you went for the devil, not the angel," Ivan commented as we manuvered our way through the Heaven and Hell ball that was in full swing.

I was wearing a short, sleeveless red dress with a small slit at the neckline and fingerless red gloves topped with devil horns. I rubbed my ruby lips together. "It's Halloween, you're supposed to dress up as something you're not. Besides, _you're_ not wearing a costume."

"Hey, I let Caroline convince me to come to this thing," Ivan said. "That's all I allowed."

We found Stefan and Caroline by the drinks. Caroline was dressed up as an angel, and she immediately brightened when she saw Ivan. She gave him a sweet kiss when he got to her. "You look beautiful," He said to her.

She blushed. "Thank you." She smacked him on the arm. "You didn't dress up!"

"Hey, you got me to come, isn't that enough?" He asked as he put his arm around her, and she snuggled close into his side.

"I guess," She grumbled, but she was smiling.

I looked at them happily. They looked so cute and happy together. I looked over at Stefan, who's eyes were practically bugging out of his head. "Nice costume for two hours notice!" He complimented. "Look at my hot wife."

"Too bad I'm only on for show tonight," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Whoa, brother ears," Ivan reminded us. "Can you not?"

"Sorry," We both mumbled.

Caroline looked between the two of us, then looked over to Ivan. "Let's go dance," She suggested, grabbing his hand and dragging him off to the dance floor before he could object, leaving just Stefan and I.

He turned to me. "If any guy in here even so much as _looks_ in your direction..."

I smirked. "Look at you playing the jealous husband."

"I am not _playing_ the jealous husband," Stefan said as he handed me a drink, careful not to touch my skin. "I _am_ the jealous husband."

"Well I think it's cute," I told him. "It's nice to do husband and wife things, isn't it?"

"Well, we haven't exactly done much as husband and wife other than stuff we did when we were boyfriend and girlfriend," He commented.

"Then maybe we should do husband and wife things," I suggested.

"Like what?" He asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"I don't know," I thought. "This is my first time being a wife. We could redo the Lockwood mansion since we live there now, I'm sure Tyler won't mind. We can pick out new furniture, choose paint colours, look at house decorations..."

"You know, being the jealous husband sounds so much easier," He said, and that made the two of us laugh. My laughing stopped when I spotted Mary Louise and Nora (dressed up as a devil and angel respectively) and I frowned a little.

Stefan followed my gaze. "Oh, they're here. Guess it's time to babysit."

The bartender put two shots in front of us, which we both took. "Just think-it'll be good practice for when we have kids," I said.

"Then I'm _definitely_ going to need this shot," He nodded, and we laughed again as we clinked our shot glasses and downed them.

* * *

I swung my legs back and forth as Stefan and I watched Nora and Mary Louise dance. Well, more like Nora was dancing and Mary Louise was awkwardly standing to the side.

"Do you think they forgot they came here to murder people?" Stefan asked.

"Nah," I answered, my chin in my hand. "There's just drama going on between the two of them. You see, Nora wants to enjoy the twenty-first century and all that it has to offer, but Mary Louise is scared that if she gives Nora breathing room to do so, Nora will leave her."

"You got all that from... that?" Stefan asked, looking back over at the dance floor.

"You happen to forget that I was a popular girl in high school," I reminded him. "I know how all this drama works."

Just then, the music changed from an upbeat tune to a ballad, and Nora and Mary Louise smiled at each other before they joined together to slow-dance. I frowned at the severe misjudgment.

"Clearly you don't," Stefan commented.

"I guess college drama is different from high school drama," I mused, blowing air out of my lips.

"You know, I'd ask you to dance, but..." Stefan trailed off.

"I'd melt your skin off," I finished. "It's okay."

"No, you're not okay with it," He deduced.

"Of course I'm not," I told him. "But until you talk to Valerie, I have no choice."

"I will ask Valerie to undo it once Damon brings Oscar back to life," Stefan assured me.

"Who says she'll even _do_ it?" I pointed out. "She's been obsessed with you for the past one hundred and fifty years. I doubt she'll be keen on undoing a spell that'll allow you to touch your wife again."

"Juliet, she's been dead to me for one hundred and fifty years," He told me.

I huffed, putting my hands to the sides of my head. "I know! I know! I'm trying not to act like the crazy, jealous wife but Valerie is a manipulative bitch, one that I tried to hurt when I was being held captive. You'll have more of a chance of getting Mary Louise to siphon it out of me than you'll get Valerie to undo it." I shook my head a little. "You know what? I think I need a little air." I hopped off of the chair I was sitting on and left before Stefan could try to stop me.

I stopped at the bar and ordered a drink. I buried my chin in my hand as the bartender prepared my drink.

"That was a messy fight," I heard from beside me, and I looked over to see Kai.

I rolled my eyes. "I haven't seen you all day. I thought I finally got rid of you."

"You won't get rid of me that easily, Princess," Kai commented. "Or should I call you Devil? I'm quite impressed with your little costume."

"Well, I thought I needed to loosen up a bit," I said as I accepted the drink. I took a long drag from it before putting the glass on the table. "This is all your fault, you know."

"My fault?" Kai asked. "How?"

"You're the one who's been planting doubts in my mind," I argued. "I _know_ Valerie means nothing to Stefan, I _know_ that Stefan loves me, but it's driving me crazy and I just want it to stop. This whole 'not being able to touch him' thing isn't helping either."

"Well then, stop moping around and feeling sorry for yourself and fix it," Kai said.

I couldn't believe I was saying this, but Kai was right. Enough moping and feeling sorry for myself. "You're going to have to help me," I told him.

He smirked. "What else am I for?"

"Alright then," I downed the rest of my drink in one go. "Let's rock this bitch."

* * *

Stefan kidnapped Mary Louise, and I waited behind for Nora to show up so that I could force Nora to siphon the spell off of me.

Nora showed up, and I waited behind her as Stefan began talking. He held a stake to Mary Louise's throat. "Siphon the repulsion spell off of Juliet, or your girlfriend dies. Do you see how easy I made that for you?"

"Yes, thanks. Now, let me make it harder for you!" Nora growled. She held up her hand and took the stake from Stefan's hand using her magic. "Get away from her!"

That was my cue, and I ran for Nora. I wrapped her in a headlock, using one hand to cover Nora's mouth to keep her from saying any spells and using my other hand to hold tightly onto her wrist to keep her from moving. She hissed in pain as the vervain on my skin began burning her. She desperately wriggled in my grip to try and get free, but the vervain was preventing her from using her full strength. "Now, you can either siphon my magic," I told her. I tightened my grip on her wrist, and Kai's hand landed on top of mine. "Or I siphon yours."

I nodded my head at Kai, who began concentrating on her hand. I felt the magic beginning to seep in my veins, and Nora frantically grabbed my arm with her free hand. I began feeling the magic leave my body as Nora's hand on my arm glowed red. Once the sizzling stopped, Stefan took a step towards me and Kai dropped his hand off of Nora so that I wasn't siphoning her magic anymore.

"Did it work?" He asked.

Quickly, I snapped Nora's neck and she dropped down to the ground, temporarily dead. Stefan, still staring at me, dropped Mary Louise to the ground.

"There's only one way to find out," I said as I stepped over Nora's body and launched myself at Stefan. I slammed my lips on his and to my relief, there was no burning or sizzling whatsoever. Since we were at the college, Stefan and I managed to make our way to mine and Caroline's dorm. I left a tie on the door to let Caroline know not to come in, hopefully she'd understand it.

I broke away from him for a second. "I'm sorry that I was acting like such a jealous wife."

"That's okay, I was acting like a jealous husband earlier at the party," He said breathlessly as he kissed me again.

I pulled back again. "Yeah, but my jealousy was stupid and dumb and I should trust you because you're my husband and in order for our marriage to work I have to trust you-"

He cut me off by kissing me again. "I trust you, you trust me, let's do a normal husband and wife thing and have sex, okay?"

I shook my head at him, but I smiled as I leaned forward and kissed him again. We began taking each other's clothes off as we fell on top of my bed. Stefan trailed kisses up and down my neck, and I curled my toes in pleasure.

All the drama didn't matter. In this moment, it was just Stefan and I.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Hopefully next chapter to follow soon!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Live Through This...**_

A NEW THREAT ON THE HORIZON-After realizing the downward spiral he was on, Damon decides he's going to turn over a new leaf and that his actions moving forward will do right by Elena. Lily prepares for the arrival of a special figure from her past, while Enzo stands by not sure what to expect. Elsewhere, at Juliet's urging, Stefan comes face to face with Valerie and learns some upsetting details about her past, while Enzo and Bonnie find themselves at odds when they're forced to fend off a violent threat. Finally, when Bonnie learns some disturbing information involving the Phoenix stone, she is forced to confront Alaric.


	50. Live Through This

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **I am so sorry this chapter has been delayed! If you wanna know what happened, I caught double pneumonia and then I was in the hospital for a while there and then I started a new job with late hours for the holiday and with all the catching up to school and worth and recovery I come right home from work and pass out.

Thank you to those who have been patient during this time!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

I smiled as I felt Stefan's breath tickling the hairs on my neck as I woke up. I slowly and carefully turned over so that I could see his face, careful not to disturb him. My smile widened even more as I watched him sleep. He looked like an angel.

"Why are you awake?" He sleepily muttered as he opened his eyes.

I startled a little but smiled. "Because you have a cute face and I wanted to see it."

"You have a cute face too, but you don't see me waking up early to see it," He joked.

"Hey!" I playfully argued, but I reached forward and began kissing him. He kissed me back with the same fervor, and he rolled over me so that I was on my back.

All of a sudden, the front door banged open, and Damon strolled right in, carrying a cardboard cup holder with three coffees in it. "Good morning, lovebirds!"

Stefan and I immediately broke apart and rolled back onto my bed and covered ourselves with my sheets. "Damon!" We both groaned as he stopped at the end of my bed.

He smiled awkwardly. "Glad to see you two worked out your problems without a marriage counsellor." He held up the coffees. "I brought you some free-range, overpriced coffee... One cream, two sugars, just like you like it."

I rolled my eyes as I wrapped my comforter around me like a towel as Stefan covered himself with my sheet. "If you wanted to have coffee, you should have called earlier so we could set _up_ for coffee." I felt a blush creeping up my back, but I was more annoyed as I strolled past Damon, grabbed some clothes, and walked into the bathroom to change my clothes and freshen up.

I washed my face and brushed my teeth, then changed into the jeans and long sleeved shirt. Just as I opened the door and walked out, I caught the last thing that Damon was saying, "We are going to interrogate a tall, beautiful Heretic with a terrible attitude."

I perked up a little. "Valerie?" I suggested.

"Rings a bell," Damon said.

Stefan got an intense look on his face, and he became confused. "Hmm. I'm missing something here."

"Stefan and Valerie were a thing like a hundred years ago and they haven't met since she burst through that stupid prison world," I explained as I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorway.

It clicked in Damon's mind as his jaw dropped open and he spun to his brother. "Hang on. Valerie as in v-card Valerie? 'Wham, bam, thank you, ma'am,' broke your heart and, uh...?"

Stefan squeezed his eyes shut in horror, and Damon suddenly looked over to me and his face changed with realization when he remembered that I was standing there. Making a smart move, he trailed off.

An idea struck me. If Stefan was going to get proper closure, the one person who could really force him to do it was Damon. "Hang on. This isn't a bad idea, actually. Why don't you and Valerie finally take this opportunity to hash out your differences and catch up a little!" I held up a finger. "Unless you're too _uncomfortable_ for it..."

Warily, he answered, "No..."

I smirked as I held up my hands. "Perfect! You two have fun," I pointed a finger at them as I opened the door. "and be home in time for dinner!" I shut the door behind me as I stepped out.

* * *

I came back a little later (after having a nice, proper breakfast) and pulled out my notes. Alaric had given me some tips and some old notes he had managed to dig up from his years studying to become a teacher. I stuck my headphones in my ears and began studying.

I had been studying for about half an hour when the door peeked open and two heads came through. "Is it safe to come in yet?" Caroline asked.

"Or is your husband still half-naked under the sheets?" Bonnie finished.

I blushed as I shook my head. "Oh God, I'm sorry, guys! I'm an awful roommate. I'm not even supposed to be living here, technically."

The two of them strolled into the room. Bonnie went over to her bed and put her bag on it as she sat down while Caroline strolled over to her closet.

"Please! At least your bed has seen a half-naked male all semester. I think Ms. Cuddles is starting to feel sorry for me," Bonnie told me as she picked up her bear and turned to face me. "I mean, look at her! Do you see how she's judging me?" She began moving Ms. Cuddles' arms. "'I need man-help'."

I laughed at her antics. "As much as I'd love to help, don't trust me for help with guys. I just shipped off my husband to hang out with his very first girlfriend. Technical girlfriend."

"Valerie?" Bonnie and Caroline both said at the same time. Caroline dropped everything and came over to sit on the bed as well as Bonnie.

"As in the crazy, bitchy Heretic who turned your skin to vervain so you and Stefan couldn't touch?" Caroline asked.

I nodded. "That very one."

Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. You're either completely insane, or the most secure woman in the world."

I gave a smile. "They left things in a bad place, and they need to work out their issues. The guy can say that this doesn't effect him anymore, but I know him, and he keeps his feelings in. It would be really good for Stefan _and_ Valerie to work out the 1800s drama so we can all get on with our lives. Plain and simple."

Bonnie and Caroline looked over to each other. "Most secure woman it is," Caroline nodded.

"I'm officially inspired!" Bonnie added as she got up and put Ms. Cuddles back on her bed before grabbing her bag.

"Going somewhere?" I asked.

"Meeting a guy?" Caroline smirked.

Bonnie sighed disappointedly. "No. I'm going to Mystic Falls to discuss magic with a Heretic I just brought back to life. And then maybe I'll meet a guy."

Caroline and I both waved goodbye as Bonnie turned around and walked out the door. Caroline looked back over to me. "Do you wanna go shopping or something?"

I looked down at my notes. "Yeah."

* * *

Several shopping bags on my arm later, Caroline and I sat down for lunch. "How's life, Caroline?"

"Going good," She answered as we ordered our food. "Things with school are going good, things with Ivan are going really good."

"And your Mom?" I wondered.

She sighed a little. "I still miss her every day, and sometimes it hurts a little less, but I don't think it'll ever stop hurting."

I reached over and put my hand on hers. "No one expects it to. I still miss my mother every day."

Our conversation turned lighter as we had lunch and halfway through, my phone started ringing. I reached into my purse and pulled it out. Seeing that it was Stefan, I answered it. "What's up? How are things going over there?"

"Awkward," He answered. "But that's to be expected."

"Where are you, anyways?" I asked. "I can barely hear you."

"Some gas station in the middle of nowhere," He said.

Damon must have projected his voice because I heard him say, "Don't worry, Jules! I have issued a 'No Hanky-Panky' zone. No former flames will reignite on my way! Uh-uh. No how."

"Damon's a loyal brother-in-law, I'll give him that," I allowed.

"Sorry about that," Stefan said. "The fumes are, uh, getting to his brain. Hey, listen- uh, I want to take you to dinner tonight."

I perked up a little. "How about this instead-I'll cook dinner for the two of us. A nice, romantic, candlelit dinner. You know, like couples from awful 1920s movies used to do."

"I lived through the 1920s, and I swear I never saw that."

"You were a Ripper in the 1920s, how would you remember anything other than the blood?"

Chuckles from his end. "That's true. All right, dinner at the Lockwood Mansion, then?"

I smiled. "Sounds perfect. It sounds like something you're going to need after today."

"Yeah," He agreed. "Valerie told me that our time together was a lie."

I grimaced. "Did she use those exact words?"

"More or less."

I tapped my fingers against the table and looked at Caroline for any help on what to say. She shrugged helplessly. "Are you okay? Or is that a weird question?"

I could practically hear his smile on the other end. "I will be, once you tell me what time I need to be home for dinner."

I smiled. "Eight o'clock. And if you're bringing flowers, you know which ones to bring."

"Do you think I don't know you? Orchids."

"Good, I was just testing you. Oh, and don't be late, otherwise dinner will get cold."

Stefan sighed on the other side, mimicking an exasperated husband. "Yes, dear. I'll see you tonight."

We both hung up, and Caroline squealed as she grabbed my arm. "You have a special dinner tonight, so you need a new outfit."

"But I just bought so much stuff," I argued as she lifted me out of the chair.

"And now you need more," She retorted. "Come on!"

* * *

I gnawed on my lower lip as I lit the last candle. I grinned in triumph after the candle was lit. "Perfect!" I praised myself as I stood straight.

I put my hands on my hips and took a step back to admire my handiwork on the table.

I _was_ going to make chicken parmesan, but once I started to actually _cook_ the chicken, the smell was so rancid that I threw up. Angrily, I had thrown the chicken into the garbage with the intention to call the meat store and give them a piece of my mind for selling me chicken that had gone bad but there wasn't enough time, so I high tailed it to the nearest fish store and made baked salmon instead. Top it off with some vegetables, bread, and red wine, and I felt just like a wife from the 20's.

I had bought a brand new black dress as well, and I curled my hair and did my makeup all special. I was ready to finally do something _normal_.

I sat down at my end of the table and checked my watch. It said seven forty-nine, and Stefan and I agreed on eight. He was probably just running a little late. He _did_ say he was in the middle of nowhere.

I tapped my fingers absent mindedly against the table and began watching the wax on the candle begin to melt. I had only been melting the candle for a little while when I heard it.

"Hello, Princess."

I rolled my eyes and turned my head to Kai. "Not tonight. I'm not letting you ruin my date night."

"Hate to be the one to break it to you, but date night's already ruined," He pointed out as he sat down at Stefan's end of the table. "It's five minutes to your agreed time and Stefan isn't here yet."

"That doesn't mean that he's not coming," I argued, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms.

"I think it does."

"Does not."

"Does."

"Does _not_."

"Does!"

"Oh my God, why am I arguing with you?!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up and pushing myself out of the chair. "You're just a figment of my imagination."

"How do you know that?" He asked from his spot at the table. "How do you know I'm not real?"

All of a sudden, the Lockwood house phone rang, and I ran over to answer it, desperate to get Kai out of my head. I sighed in relief when I saw it to be Stefan, and I answered. "What did I say about being on time? Now the food's gonna get cold."

Stefan hesitated on the other line. "...I'm actually still in Mystic Falls."

"Oh," I said with surprise. "Well..." I trailed off a little, tracing the lines in the wood of the table that the phone had been resting on.

"I'm sorry," Stefan sighed.

"No, it's totally fine!" I tried sounding upbeat.

"Things got... complicated," He offered.

"How could it not have?" I muttered under my breath. "Listen, really, it's okay. I hadn't even...started cooking yet."

"You didn't? What about the whole thing with the food getting cold?"

"Oh, that? I just said that so that you'd _think_ that I had cooked already," I lied. "You know me, biggest procrastinator ever. I put it off all day and when I finally got home, it was too late to make anything. I was just about to pick up the phone and order a pizza then make the special dinner up to you later."

"Yeah." He paused. "Listen- I promise I'll... I'll make tonight up to you, okay?"

There was something off about his tone. "Stefan, is there something that you aren't telling me? Something that I should know?"

"No. No, nothing," He assured me. He cleared his throat. "I'll see you later tonight? If you're awake?"

I sighed, looking over to the fancy dinner that I had had all planned out. "Yeah. I'll just get some take out with Bonnie and Caroline tonight."

"I'm sorry again," He said. "I love you. Bye."

"Love you too," I responded, and the two of us hung up. I stared a little sadly at my perfect night now gone, before dialing another number in the phone. "Ivan, you up for salmon?"

* * *

**TBC...**

**Sorry that it's short, but it's all the chapter that I have time to write!**

**I'll try to update again soon, I promise! At least once more before the new year!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

**Next Chapter...**

_**Best Served Cold...**_

**DAMON AND STEFAN COME FACE-TO-FACE WITH JULIAN-After being reunited with her former love Julian, Lily hosts a dinner party to introduce him to Damon, Stefan and Juliet and to declare peace between her family of Heretics and the residents of Mystic Falls. Damon and Stefan find themselves at an impasse when they realize they have differing views on how to handle Julian's arrival while Juliet begins to lose control over her situation of seeing Kai. At the party, Bonnie and Matt uncover a strange mystery involving some unsuspecting residents, while a devastating revelation causes Alaric to reach his breaking point. **


	51. Best Served Cold

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Just a couple more episodes to catch up on!

ALSO! I kinda have a Kai/OC swimming around in my head. Would anyone be interested in it?

**ENJOY!**

* * *

I heard the shower in one of the bedrooms of the Lockwood mansion, so I just assumed that Stefan didn't want to disturb me last night after I fell asleep and just stayed in one of the other rooms. I was still a little upset, but he couldn't have helped being held up in Mystic Falls. Maybe he and I could cook breakfast with each other and put last night behind us.

I heard a voice as I strolled down the steps and into the living room. I wrinkled my eyebrows as I ran over to the couch and found Stefan asleep on it, calling out, "Jacob!" as he slept.

Confused, I leaned down and shook him awake. "Stefan?"

He jerked away and looked up at me. I took my hands off of him and held them up. "Hey, it's me. Jules."

There was something off about Stefan, but he just shook it off as he sat up and made room for me on the couch. "Hey."

I plopped down next to him. "Who's Jacob?" I asked.

"Who?" Stefan asked, but there was something off about his tone.

I wrinkled my eyebrows. "Jacob? You calling out his name in your sleep."

"Oh, um... must have been a bad dream," he shook off.

There was something more to it, but there was enough drama going on, so I just let it go. I tilted my head to the side a little as I remembered something. "Wait. If you're down here, then who's in the bath-"

"That would be me," A new voice said, and I looked over to the doorway to see Valerie standing there, a towel wrapped around her body as she dripped on to my carpet, holding up a bottle of my shampoo. "I-I just wanted to let you know I used the last of the shampoo."

I swallowed my anger. "Valerie! I didn't know that we had a guest last night. Had I known, I would have prepared breakfast."

"It was for _just_ last night," Stefan interjected. "Um, just one night."

"I should go put some clothes on," Valerie said awkwardly.

I gave her a polite smile, but my lips were thinned into a straight line. "As long as it's not from my closet, you go do that."

"...All right," Valerie drawled.

I tried not to snap. I really did. "What, are you waiting for a special invitation?"

Pursing her lips, Valerie turned around and went back up the stairs. As soon as I heard the door to the guest room shut, I turned to Stefan. "Spill the details before I spill some blood."

"Okay. Lily wants to raise Julian from the dead," Stefan started. "Valerie tried to scorch his body before she could get her hands on him, and that did not work out so well..."

"And that is our problem because...?" I trailed.

"Okay. If and when Lily welcomes Julian back into his body, he will find out what Valerie did, and he'll come after her," Stefan went on.

I nodded my head slowly. "I'm still not following."

"Well, maybe you can just trust me that I know what I'm doing," Stefan finished.

I took a deep breath in. "You know, I've been putting my trust in you a lot lately and nothing's been coming out of it. I know you, Stefan Salvatore, and there's more to this Julian thing that you're not telling me. What do you care what Julian does to Valerie?"

"Because I'm a good person?" He offered.

"Yeah, that's great and all, if we were all planning on holding hands around the campfire and singing Kumbaya," I retorted. "Valerie is over a hundred years old. She's a freaking _Heretic_, for God's sake! I am pretty confident that she can take care of herself."

"There's nothing wrong with helping people," He reminded me. "Besides, I would have thought that you'd be the first person wanting to help keep someone safe."

I growled as I shut my eyes. "I really hate when you use that against me." I shook my head as I opened my eyes. "What do you suggest we do? What about helping her disappear?"

"No," He immediately rejected.

"Come on! What better way for Julian to_ not_ find Valerie than her being in other continent?" I offered.

"Whatever we're doing, we should do it fast," I heard, and we both looked back over to see Valerie had come back, thankfully fully clothed. "The Phoenix Stone turns people mad, and Julian's soul's been in it for over a hundred years, so anywhere he is, I need to be as far away as possible. "

* * *

Lily was having a party tonight to try and make peace, so I enlisted Caroline and Ivan to take care of the Valerie situation. I had already gotten ready (an elegant red dress with my hair in a fancy updo), so I headed on over to Mayor Lockwood's study, where Stefan was getting ready for tonight. He held up two ties in his hands, trying to figure out which one would be good for tonight. I cleared my mind before speaking up. "The black one."

He looked up and saw me through the mirror. I offered him a smile as I walked towards him, taking the tie from his hand and putting the other tie down on Mayor Lockwood's desk. "When in doubt, always go with black." I wrapped it around his neck and began tying it for him.

"Listen, I'm sorry I've been acting so weird lately," He started. "Like cancelling last night's date and the thing this morning. And I should've asked if you were comfortable with Valerie staying under the same roof as you before I let her."

I shook my head. "Let's just try to put that behind us. Tonight isn't about Valerie. Tonight is about trying to finally make peace with your mother so that we may try to start leading normal lives again."

Just then, Damon walked in to the room, and Stefan and I looked over to him. I frowned at his lack of fancyness. I gave him a look. "I know the invitation said 'black tie optional', but you're taking this too far."

"Black tie is only optional if you're going," Damon pointed out. "Which I am not."

"You saw her invite. Julian's back. You're going!" Stefan demanded.

"To watch Lily bat her eyes at her zombie douche-brain boy-toy? Thanks, but I'd rather stay home and stub my toe repeatedly," Damon argued.

"You do realize that 'zombie douche-brain boy-toy' is living in your house? Bathing in your tub, eating your Froot Loops?" Stefan tossed back.

"Oh, I know," Damon snarked. "I also know that he's the love of Mom's life. Mom, who convinced Kai to link Elena's life with Bonnie's so I'd be miserable for the next six-plus decades."

"_Lily_ gave Kai the idea?!" I asked.

"Oh yeah, it was a great idea, too," Kai said, and I refrained from looking over at him. "Lily's a genius, really."

"What are you getting at?" Stefan interrupted.

"Julian makes her happy, Stefan. More time they spend together, the happier she gets, the more tragic it'll be in six months when I hand-deliver his heart to her," He explained.

Stefan and I frowned and exchanged looks before looking back over at Damon. "Six months?" Stefan repeated.

Yeah, you know, give or take. Let her get her hopes up. Let her start planning their entire eternity and then-squish, he's dead!" Damon declared.

"That might he a bit of a problem, brother, because I plan on killing the bastard tonight," Stefan told Damon. Without looking at me, he fakely smiled and patted Damon on the shoulder as he walked past him to leave the room, shoving his tie in Damon's hands as he did so.

"Stefan!" I called after him, but he ignored me as he strolled right out of the room. I looked over at Damon and shook my head. "He didn't tell me any of that. There's a reason that Stefan's going after Julian but he isn't telling me what it is."

"Well then, I guess we should go find out," Damon thought. He offered his arm to me. "Shall we, sis?"

* * *

Damon and I left before Stefan, and I was surprised to see the amount of humans that were clearly compelled to attend Lily's party. More specifically, I was surprised that none of them had bites in their necks.

"You know, for people who have been locked in a Prison World for over a century, they sure know how to throw one hell of a party," Kai said from beside me.

I closed my eyes as I tightened my grip on Damon's arm. "I shouldn't be here," I groaned, clutching my stomach.

"Hey, listen, you're gonna be fine," He said as he handed me a glass of bourbon. "So long as you don't hurl all over my Italian shoes."

"Can I hurl all over your _hideous_ Italian shoes?" I countered as I accepted the glass and took a swig. This whole Kai thing was becoming too much, and the alcohol helped. Besides, there were no teachers at this party for me to make out with, I was safe.

"Hey, _you_ wouldn't know good shoes if a Fairy Godmother put them on your feet," He countered.

I shook my head. "Sorry. I'm just a little tensed over what's going on with Stefan." I looked around me, making sure that prying ears weren't around. Still, I dropped my voice to a whisper. "Why does he want Julian gone so bad?"

"I don't know," He answered. "But we'll find out, I promise." Damon lifted his head a little, then turned back to me. "Speak of the devil..." He muttered as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me down to the foyer with him.

"What? No tie?" Damon suddenly said, and he moved out of the way enough for me to see that Stefan had showed up and without a tie.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, clearly surprised.

Damon held up his drink. "I missed my stash!"

"Boys, why don't you go mingle? I'll put this away," Lily, who was standing next to Stefan, offered as she held up a bottle of wine. She gave the three of us a smile before walking away.

Stefan put on a fake smile before grabbing my free hand and throwing his other arm around Damon's shoulder, dragging us to a nearby table before speaking, "Tell me that you are here to help me."

"You know how you wanted to, uh, 'redecorate?'" Damon asked quietly. When Stefan nodded, Damon continued. "Can't let you do that."

"Why the hell not?" He asked, annoyance dripping in his voice.

"Because Lily just 'rearranged the furniture,' and she needs a little time to live in it, you know? Fall in love with the whole feng shui of it all," Damon said.

"Yeah. Let me guess- for six months?" Stefan pressed.

I growled underneath my breath. "Okay, I'm beyond lost. What's going on? And why the hell do you care so much about Lily's 'furniture'?" I asked.

"Let's just say that the furniture Lily recently purchased is psychotic and needs to be disposed of immediately," Stefan said firmly.

Suddenly, a man boomed, "Gentlemen, lady, welcome!" as he strolled over to our table. He held out a hand to Damon. "I'm Julian."

So this was the infamous Julian. The man that Stefan seemed very insistent on killing.

Damon threw him a bone and shook his hand. "I'm Damon."

"Lily told me all about you! Of course, you were only a boy back then, and now you're, well... you," Julian offered, but it was clear that the smile on his fake wasn't genuine. He turned to me. "And who is this beautiful young lady?"

I offered him a polite smile, but this guy was seriously giving me the creeps. "I'm Juliet."

"Juliet," He repeated, taking my hand in his own and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Just like Romeo and Juliet. Except hopefully your story ends on a better note."

"I'd disinfect your hand if I were you," Kai whispered under his breath, though I didn't know why, because I was the only one who could see him.

I snatched my hand back from Julian in the most polite way I could muster before saying, "I certainly hope so, considering Stefan is my Romeo in this case."

Julian turned to Stefan, the large, fake smile on his face growing. "Stefan! How long has it been?"

"I don't know. I must have lost track after I stopped thinking about you," Stefan offered.

"Huh. My charm is being lost on you. You must be dreadfully sober," Julian said. Beau (one of Lily's Heretics) was walking past us, but Julian stopped him. "Beau, get these men and this lady something to drink, will you?"

Beau nodded and smiled before leaving, leaving the four of us again.

"It's going to be one long night," Kai muttered.

* * *

I followed Stefan and Julian to the pool table, but I declined their offer to join them in a game, instead choosing to text Caroline about Stefan's weird behaviour regarding Julian. Caroline, in turn, promised to try and get something out of Valerie to report back to me.

"Hmm, nice break," I heard Julian say, and I looked up from my phone back to their conversation.

"Well, it is my pool table, after all," Stefan said snidely.

Just then, Damon walked into the room, and Julian grinned. "Ah, Damon, come play with us."

"Oh I would, but I have an irrational fear of pool tables," Damon politely declined.

Julian gave him a look. "It's not a rational fear of losing?"

Damon looked over at me, and by the look in his eye, I knew what he was thinking. I had been so absorbed in texting Caroline that I hadn't even noticed that this was Stefan's plan to kill Julian.

"Wait. Has he nev-?" Damon turned to Julian. "Have you never heard the story about the guy that tries to kill the vampire during a game of pool?"

Julian had a look of suspicion in his eye, but he played along with Damon. "Huh. Well, considering my body's been in stasis for a century, why don't you enlighten me?"

"Well, there's this guy. He's about Stefan's build, maybe a wee bit bigger... little more chiseled, less height on the hair," Damon started, and I felt my heart drop as I figured out Damon's plan.

"One of them is gonna end up dead, so you should pick which one gets to live," Kai said, suddenly beside me. "I'd pick Damon. At least Damon hasn't been lying to you."

I tried my best not to look over at Kai. "What makes you think Stefan is lying to me?" I whispered underneath my breath. The three boys were so absorbed in their drama, they didn't even notice what I was saying.

"Get on with the story," Stefan gritted.

"Right, so this vampire that he wants to kill is at least three hundred years older than him," Damon said as he took Julian's pool stick from him.

"Come on, it's so obvious," Kai argued. "He's hiding something from you, and even _you_ know that."

"And anyone and everyone with half a brain knew he was being an idiot, but he had this inexplicable obsession," Damon continued, bending over the table to take a shot in the game.

"Look, whatever Stefan's hiding from me-no matter how much it's killing me-it must be for good reason," I responded. "If he's not willing to tell me, then so be it. I'll stop prying."

"So, he bets the vampire in a game of pool, and just as the vamp is setting up for his last shot..." Damon went on, and just as he bent over to take another shot, he snapped the pool stick in half and vamp-sped towards Julian with it. He froze just inches away from Julian's heart, and I felt my own drop as I watched the scene unfold. Strangely enough, Julian didn't even flinch. Damon paused for dramatic effect, and after a moment, Julian gave him an annoyed look.

"And?" Julian pressed.

"Never got a chance," Damon finished.

"Oh," Julian said.

"Yeah. Another vampire comes out of nowhere and stops him. Like I said, he was being an idiot," Damon supplied.

Stefan looked ready to tear Damon apart limb from limb. "Wow, that is a wonderful story, Hemingway," He practically gritted through his teeth.

"Thanks," Damon said as he tossed the broken halves of the pool stick to Julian, who easily caught them. Damon then began to whistle as he casually strolled out of the room. Stefan went after him, and I had no choice but to follow, not trusting Julian enough to be alone with him.

"There's clearly more to this Julian thing than he's letting on," Kai said. "Isn't it driving you crazy that he isn't telling you?"

"Can't you just go bother some other poor soul?" I groaned under my breath as I caught up with the Salvatore brothers.

I found them in Damon's old bedroom, but a lot of his furniture had been replaced, and what was left over was in completely different spots.

"Huh. Where the hell's your TV?" Stefan asked.

"Where's my bed?" Damon growled.

"Wow. I guess Lily took over your bedroom," Stefan mocked. "And, I will bet you your old flat-screen that Julian isn't sleeping in the guest quarters..."

"Here I thought she slept standing up like a horse..." Damon said as he investigated the remains of his old room.

"You need to help us kill him, or you need to leave," Stefan said.

"Wait, what's with this 'us'?" I asked him.

"What do you mean?" He responded. "You're helping me, aren't you?"

I gave him a look. "I didn't agree at all to help you kill Julian. I still don't even know why you want him dead in the first place. Why do you want to kill him so bad? Is the answer so terrible that you think I'd do something or say something bad?"

"Hey, not to interrupt the little lovers' quarrel," Damon said, and Stefan and I both looked over to see Damon swinging around a piece of underwear on a sword. "But do you know what this means?"

"Knock it off," Stefan threw out.

"It means Mom's happy," Damon went on. "Another couple months of this, and she'll have convinced herself it's forever, and that's when we strike, Stefan."

"Look at your bedroom!" Stefan said, clearly fed up. "Our house is unrecognizable. Lily needs to go, and killing Julian is the start of that."

"You know something! Look at you- murdery, vengeful. It's very humanity-off Stefan, except your switch is intact, which means you know something. So, spit it out!" Damon growled.

"It's not my secret to tell, Damon," Stefan finally said.

"Really?" Damon and I asked at the same time.

I continued. "So you want Damon and me to help you kill someone-possibly getting ourselves killed in the process-for a secret that's not yours to tell?" I practically thundered. "If it's not your secret to tell, Stefan, then who's is it?!"

We were interrupted by someone stumbling in, and I was surprised to see that it was Matt, holding a half empty bottle of bourbon in his hands. "So, Nora showed me where they keep the good stuff."

Damon looked downright appalled at the sight of Matt drinking his alcohol and snatched the bottle away from him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on- does this bottle say 'Default-Deputy?' No. No. It says, 'Damon's good stuff. Do not touch.'"

Damon took a drink of the bourbon, but he immediately began coughing it back up and gagging, the liquid burning his face where it touched him. I gasped as I looked over at Matt, who was smirking in satisfaction. Vervain was the only thing that could have done this, and I was so shell shocked that I stayed rooted in place as Matt stepped forward and stuck Damon's neck with a syringe full of vervain, knocking him out. To my surprise, Matt looked over at Stefan's expectantly.

"Take Bonnie and Jules," Stefan said, and it clicked in my brain at that moment. _This_ was Stefan's plan all along. "Get out of here. It's about to get ugly."

"Are you gonna let him treat you like that?" Kai asked me. "You're 'Queen', remember?"

"_What's_ about to get ugly?" I demanded as Matt came over and touched my arm. I yanked it away from him. "Don't touch me!" I thundered, and I felt the ground shake a little. I turned back to Stefan. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'll explain later," Stefan said as he turned around to leave.

I growled under my breath as I stomped after him and grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving. "No, you can explain it to me _now_. If you're putting yourself in even a _lick_ of danger I want to be there to help!"

"Juliet, please, don't make me do this," He said.

"Do what?" I asked, crossing my arms.

All of a sudden, I felt a poke in my lower back, where my skin was exposed from where there was no fabric in the dress. I looked over my shoulder to see Matt with a regretful look on his face as he withdrew the syringe from my back. I felt the familiar feel of a sleeping drug beginning to pull me under, and I could only look at Stefan with an appalled expression as I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head. I collapsed into his arms and all I saw was black.

* * *

When I came to, I groaned as I squeezed my eyes shut. Slowly, I opened them up and saw that I was sprawled out on the floor of Damon's bedroom. The events came back to me, and I pulled myself weakly over to Damon, who was still out cold from the vervain. I began shaking him as hard as I could. "Damon, wake up!"

After a few tries and a few slaps, I finally got him to come to. He groaned in pain (since vervain hurt more than a sleeping drug did) but I managed to get him to sit up as I did.

"What hit me?" He asked as I stood up and offered him a hand.

"Stefan did," I moaned as I helped him stand up. The two of us managed to make our way downstairs and into the room where we heard Lily's voice. The whole room was a mess, and Julian was on the ground, healing from what looked like burn wounds.

"Well, I see Stefan's plan went swimmingly. Probably explains why your fake-guests are leaving," Damon said.

"Sit down. Both of you," Lily glared at her sons.

"Oh, well, we wouldn't want to wear out our welcome. Brother, sister, let's hit the road," Damon feigned politeness.

Julian, who had finally recovered, walked over to Damon. "Sit down, son, or I'll seat you myself."

Damon, not pushing it, grabbed Stefan by the arm and led him to a nearby table, where they sat down.

I clapped my hands loudly together. "Well, that's my cue to leave!" I pointed at the boys and then behind me. "I'll just see you two at home."

I spun around to run, but Lily vamp sped in front of me before I could make my escape. "By marrying my son, you married into this family. Therefore, you are as involved as Stefan and Damon are. Now, have a seat, Mrs. Salvatore."

"I _knew_ I should have married Matt," I grumbled under my breath as I turned around and walked over to the table, making it a point to sit on the other side of Damon.

Julian pulled out a rock from his pocket, and I quickly placed it to be the Phoenix stone, the thing that Alaric was trying to use to bring Jo back. "Hmmm. Over a hundred years inside this thing. Although in this, my own custom-made hell, time is meaningless. The pain, the emptiness, the complete lack of humanity, is quite literally endless. Every day is the same. I wake up. I try to escape. But instead, I end up killing the person I love the most. Every day, over and over again, I drive a stake through your mother. It's almost enough to turn even the soundest mind mad, but when you're over 475 years old, you learn a thing or two about yourself. This couldn't be real, because I would never bring harm to your mother. Hell was playing tricks on me, hmm? It was trying to break me. But no, I wouldn't let it, because I knew that if I did snap... Ooh, no, no... I wouldn't be a man. I'd be a monster."

Suddenly, Julian picked up a kitchen knife from the table and spun on his heel before throwing it at Damon, Stefan and I. Damon just managed to push me off of the table, sending me crashing to the ground as he and Stefan dodged the blade, which embedded itself into the wall behind us.

"JULIAN!" Lily exclaimed in horror.

"Your children have no respect for you!" Julian cried angrily. He grabbed a bloody stake and threw it at Stefan. He managed to catch it in his hand before lunging at Julian.

Julian spun and threw him backward into the shelf above the sink, which was full of glass and ceramic dishes and which all shattered on impact with Stefan's body. Stefan fell to the floor, and Julian grabbed Stefan by the front of the shirt before punching him over and over again in the face.

"Julian!" Lily tried again.

Damon and I both rose to our feet to defend Stefan. "Knock it off!" Damon called as he vamp sped to Julian, but Julian simply spun around and threw Damon into the light fixture on the nearby wall, which shattered and sent a shower of sparks on to the floor. Julian then proceeded to beat up Damon.

"Are you going to let Julian treat your family that way?" Kai asked me.

"Hell no," I growled as I stomped over to Julian, who was too distracted in hurting Damon to notice that I was behind him. Once I got behind him, I grabbed him by the arms and yanked him back from Damon. I felt Kai's hands on top of mine, and immediately I began draining Julian by taking the vampire magic in him. He groaned and hissed in pain as I drained more and more power from him. He began sinking to his knees as I felt the magic beginning to build up in me.

I felt a hand on my arm, and I looked over to see Lily standing beside me in concern. "That's enough!"

Shakily, I dropped Julian, who fell to the ground with a satisfying plop. He managed to recover quickly, and he growled as he identified me as the one who drained him of magic. He raised his fist to punch me, but Lily pushed me behind her last minute as she stood up to Julian, who just managed to stop himself from striking her in the face.

"Boys, out. Now," Lily commanded in a cold voice. She looked behind her at me. "You leave too."

I nodded slowly as I went over to Damon and helped him to his feet, ignoring Stefan as I helped him limp out the door and into the car that we had taken separate from Stefan. I drove the two of us back to the Lockwood mansion, and Damon and managed to regain his strength as we got back. We had gotten back before Stefan, so Damon headed to the bar while I headed to the washroom. I had cut my head a little when Damon pushed me off the table to keep the knife from hitting me, so I cleaned myself up a little.

When I got back to where the bar was, Damon and Stefan were arguing. I was going to interrupt, but then I figured it was better to just let the two of them hash everything out before bed. I had just turned around to go upstairs and crash when I heard Damon say, "You know, I never thought I'd say this, Stefan, but I miss the days when you just let your big brother handle all the dirty work. Quite frankly, I can't figure out why you have such a big beef with this guy, unless V-card Valerie got under your skin."

At the mention of Valerie, I turned back to face the doorway. I was still hidden, so the boys couldn't see me, but I could see them. This heat of the moment argument was probably going to be the only way I was going to get answers out of Stefan, so I stayed as I watched them continue to argue, especially since Stefan got more visibly upset when Damon mentioned Valerie.

"You don't want to start with me right now, Damon," Stefan started.

"I'm surprised, Stefan! I thought _Juliet_ was the one," Damon shook his head. "Then again, we all thought Elena was the one, huh? What is it about the first time that just makes it so memorable?"

Stefan, pushed to his limit, lunged at Damon at vampire-speed and tackled him, causing them both to fall on top of the coffee table and shatter it. Stefan grabbed Damon by the front of the shirt and slammed him back against the wall, but after a moment, he stopped. He pushed himself off of Damon and gasped in an attempt to catch his breath as Damon pulled himself into a seated position.

I had finally decided to intervene, but as I stepped out of the shadows, I heard Stefan say, "I got Valerie pregnant..."

And I stopped in my tracks.

Apparently, neither of the brothers had seen me yet, because Damon asked, "What?"

"In 1863. Julian found out about it, and he beat her until the baby was no longer alive," Stefan finished.

That was what their big secret was. Why Stefan was so insistent on killing Julian. Why Valerie was so afraid of Julian.

"Oh..." Damon trailed off.

Stefan sighed. "I could have been a father."

Yeah. He really could've.

"...Why didn't you just tell me?" Damon asked.

Stefan scoffed. "What'd you want me to do? Tell you I could've had a kid and watch you brush it off with some glib joke about how it was 150 years ago? Yeah, I know it was 150 years ago, Damon. And it's stupid how much it affects me, but it still does." Stefan paused. "I want him dead Damon. No one's gonna stop me from killing him. Not in six months, not in six weeks- now."

Damon opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself as his eyes locked with mine. He then proceeded to just point at me, clearly at a loss for words.

I wasn't even aware that I was crying until I saw the horror on Stefan's face when he turned around to see that I had been standing there the entire time, and that I had heard the whole thing. "Juliet-" He started.

I was surprisingly calm as I held up a hand. "Don't say anything. Don't say anything that'll make _me_ something that I'm going to regret." I began taking small steps backward as Stefan took small steps forward. "Just don't call me. Don't talk to me. Don't try to come to me for now." With that, I spun on my heels and ran right out of the house.

* * *

I found my way to Wickery Bridge, the bridge where my parents had died. I lifted myself up on to the arm of the bridge and looked down at the water. I let my feet dangle over the edge as I put my hands in my lap. Though it was dark, I could see my engagement ring glistening in the light. Frowning a little, I took the ring and the wedding band off of my finger, staring at them as I fiddled with them in my hands.

"If I were you, I'd throw them over the bridge," Kai said from beside me.

How easy it would have been. How poetic, too, since this was the spot where everything began, really. For half a second, I was tempted to. Just toss them into the water and let this relationship die where all things seemed to die, buy a one way ticket to New Orleans, and never look back.

But something kept me from doing that, and instead, I tucked the rings into the little clutch that I had taken with me tonight that I had managed to swipe off of the counter before I left the Lockwood mansion. I tilted my head back a little and groaned. "He could've been a father," I whispered to Kai. "A _father_. Stefan could have been someone's Dad."

"Yeah? And?" He prompted. "This happened like a billion years ago. What happened to Valerie and everything involving her being his past and you being his future?"

"First of all, when you're not around, just stay out of my private conversations," I said. "Second of all, it was a _baby_. I mean, I understand why he wants Julian dead because of that, but I still feel angry about it." I looked over at Kai. "Do I have the _right _to be angry? You're right, this happened a long time ago."

"I think you do get the right to be angry," Kai offered. "Stefan knew you were all paranoid over Valerie, and he wasn't telling you the reason that she was sticking around. Instead, he made it seem like you were the one who was crazy and needed to get over yourself."

"Maybe I _do _need to get over myself," I suggested. "This is a Stefan and Valerie thing, not a me thing."

"Look, the point is, you asked Stefan if there was something that he wasn't telling you, and he lied," Kai pointed out. "That earns him bad credit then and there."

I gave him a look. "Are you just saying all of this because you're in my head and that's what I wanna hear?"

"I'm saying all of this because I'm always the one here for you," He said.

I rolled my eyes. "For some reason, that's oddly comforting. Yet the fact that this is oddly comforting shows that I need serious mental help. But still," I looked over at him, reaching over to put my hand on top of his. "Thank-"

The words died in my throat as my hand made contact with his. I felt my insides beginning to churn and my entire body felt like it was on fire. I screamed with pain as I pitched forward and nearly fell into the water. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get rid of the headache that was splitting my head open. I briefly managed to open my eyes but panicked when I didn't see anything. I tried reaching forward blindly, but my hands touched nothing. I heard nothing. I _felt_ nothing.

I shut my eyes and opened them again, and to my relief, I could see the sky. I looked around me to see that somehow I had fallen off of the arm of the bridge on to the actual bridge itself. I pushed myself into a sitting position and shook the headache away from me. I looked around me to see that Kai was nowhere to be found, and that I was alone. I lifted a hand and put it to my forehead, cradling my head in my hand.

What the hell was that?

* * *

**TBC...**

**Trying to push through!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Mommie Dearest...**_

**SECRETS FROM THE PAST-**In order to get through to Lily about Julian's manipulating ways, Stefan and Damon confront their mother with painful memories from their childhood. However, when Lily reveals a dark secret she's been harbouring for over 160 years, Stefan and Damon are left questioning everything they've ever known about their family. Juliet and Stefan struggle in their relationship with the lies and secrets as Juliet tries to make peace with Valerie once and for all. Meanwhile, the pressure of the mystery of Kai begins to take its toll on Juliet. Determined to prove himself to Lily, Enzo comes face to face with Julian and challenges him to a duel, but an unexpected twist threatens to complicate things. Elsewhere, Matt finds himself in the middle of a deepening mystery involving the residents of Mystic Falls, and Caroline and Ivan's worlds are turned upside down when Valerie reveals some life changing news to them.


	52. Mommie Dearest

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait! Sorry about this in advance, but please don't expect another update until February. Exams for me start next week (in class exams) and then exam week itself is right after and I need to study as much as I can. Maybe if we get lucky I'll have enough energy to update again the weekend after exams, but it all depends.

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Matt rubbed soft circles around my back as I laid in his bed, my face buried in the pillow. I was in a pair of his old sweats and one of his old t-shirts, since I had foolishly moved all of my belongings (well, at least the ones here) from his house to the Lockwood's after Stefan and I had moved in there, and I had no clothes to change into after I stumbled over here from the Wickery Bridge. I needed somewhere to go, and Matt was the only place that I could think of.

"I just can't believe he wouldn't tell you something like that," Matt shook his head in disbelief as he held on to a glass of orange juice he was trying (and failing) to coax me into drinking. "I mean, you're his _wife_, and this is kind of a big thing."

"Well, I didn't exactly stick around for an explanation," I muttered. "I just had to get the hell out of there before I did something I regretted."

"Like throwing your rings at his face?" Matt asked, and I finally took my face out of the pillow to peer at him. "You're not wearing them."

"I took them off last night, but I didn't get rid of them," I told him as I turned back and buried my face into the pillow. "They're just sitting in my clutch for the time being."

"Listen, I never said this because I knew you were so happy, but because you're not all that happy right now..."

"Nothing's gonna stop you?" I grumbled into the pillow.

"I don't think you should have married him," He said.

I immediately sat up. "What?"

He shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying that I think you rushed into things. The two of you had _just _gotten back together. I think you might have rushed things."

"We got married because we knew that we were gonna end up together in the end, not matter what, so why wait?" I asked.

Matt shrugged again. "I'm just saying now you're having issues."

"Because the chick he got pregnant like a million years ago has decided to butt in!" I protested as I laid back, the back of my head in the pillow.

"That's true, but I still think that you and Stefan should have worked on some more stuff before you did something as serious as marriage."

"Shockingly, this isn't making me feel any better."

Matt smiled. "I know. I'm sorry." He placed the glass in my hands, making sure that I was firmly holding it, then lifted it to my lips and made me drink it. I relented, allowing a few sips before I pushed it away from me. "Can I just sulk here today?"

"I can even bring home some ice cream," He allowed. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I have to go, but I'll be back later. I'll see you later."

"Bye," I said as I snuggled deep under my covers. "Oh, and Matt?"

He turned around from the doorway. "Yeah?"

I smiled at him. "Thanks for always being there."

He returned my smile. "No problem," and with that, he was gone.

I had just closed my eyes to go back to sleep when my phone rang. I answered it without looking. "Hello?"

"Good, you're up," Damon's voice said cheerfully. "Listen, family emergency, get down to the Lockwood mansion right now."

"Damon, is Stef-"

"Family emergency means _family emergency_, Jules," Damon pressed. "I'll answer questions later. Just get here, okay?" and he hung up.

I growled as I laid my head on the pillow. If I didn't go, I'd never hear the end of it from Damon. Besides, I promised Elena I'd look after him for her. And if he was up to something...

Cursing at my sister, I slithered out of bed to greet the day.

* * *

_Pregnant._

The words jumped around in Ivan Christos's mind. His girlfriend-_pregnant_. In a normal circumstance, the words _should_ have brought him a lot of joy. But this was his life-it would never be normal. Instead, his _vampire_ girlfriend was supposedly pregnant with the not-so-dead twins of their close friend Alaric and his now deceased wife Jo Parker.

Sometimes he wished he had stayed dead.

He sat on Caroline's bed in her dorm room, Alaric sitting across from him on Juliet's bed. Ivan would have understood if Caroline and Alaric had wanted to take Caroline's pregnancy test alone, but Caroline practically begged him to stay-she needed the moral support.

"Well, simple enough. Two lines you're pregnant, one line you're not," Alaric said as he read the label on the box.

"And how many lines if you've been mystically knocked up by a coven of dead witches?" Caroline grumbled as she sank down next to Ivan, leaning against him.

Ivan kissed her temple softly. "I guess we'll know in about three minutes."

"This is crazy!" Caroline protested. She gestured to Alaric. "I mean, you're an occult studies professor. Have you ever come across anything about a pregnant vampire?"

"No. But until a few weeks ago, I'd never heard of a stone that was full of tormented vampire souls, either," Alaric pointed out.

"But how would it even be possible? I'm technically dead," Caroline reminded them.

"Well, your body basically functions normally. Your heart beats. You breathe. I mean, is it that far outside the realm of possibility that your body could support a baby or two?" Alaric wondered.

"Why would the coven want me to?" Caroline wondered aloud.

"They didn't have much of a choice, Care," Ivan said. "All the Geminis were dying, and they seem like pretty selfish people if they were willing to let others die to save the future of their coven. They couldn't let the next generation of leaders die, so they needed a safe place to put the unborn babies in a place where they couldn't possibly die, and that place turned out to be your uterus, evidently."

Ivan felt bad at the overwhelmed look on Caroline's face as she looked back down at the pregnancy test.

"Caroline, listen," Ivan started, putting his hand on top of hers. "Whatever happens, I'm here with you, okay?"

She smiled appreciatively as she kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you are."

* * *

I wrapped my jacket around me as I let myself into the Lockwood mansion. I could hear Damon's voice as he said, "Whatever happened to taking out Julian? Remember him? Killed what would have been your firstborn? You know, I cleared out my entire schedule so we could make that guy count worms... Unless you're too busy baking."

"Julian knows that I want him dead, so our next move needs to be smart. We're probably only gonna have one more shot at this," Stefan's voice said.

The sound of Stefan's voice made me stop in my tracks. I almost spun around and ran out the door, but the two of them probably already heard the door open and I needed to confront Stefan at some point, since we were still technically married.

"Not quite following the whole Martha Stewart strategy, to be honest..." Damon said.

"I am planning on recruiting an ally," Stefan continued.

I cleared my throat as I walked into the room that he and Stefan were in. Admittedly, I felt hella awkward around Stefan, but I ignored it as I walked towards Damon. "What's the family emergency?

"'Family emergency'?" Stefan repeated. "What family emergency?"

"That our family wasn't together on Thanksgiving, that's what!" Damon said as he wrapped his arm around me and hugged me to his chest. He already reeked of alcohol, and the day had barely begun.

"But tomorrow is Thanksgiving," I reminded him.

"I know," he said. "And I don't want to spend it making awkward conversation while the two of you have this big elephant in the room. So," he pushed me forward towards Stefan. "work things out."

Before Stefan or I could say anything, the doorbell rang, and Damon gladly used the excuse to turn around and answer the door.

Not wanting to confront this situation yet, I followed Damon to see him opening the door and Lily emerging on the other side, holding a large Tupperware container in her hands. She smiled awkwardly as she held up the container. "I brought cranberries!"

* * *

The timer on Alaric's phone went off, and Caroline took a deep breath. She squeezed her boyfriend Ivan's hand as she opened her eyes to look at the results.

_Negative._

She frowned, then held it out for Alaric to see.

"Negative. I don't understand. I mean, Valerie was so certain," Alaric mumbled.

"Well, I guess she was wrong, or playing some twisted game. Either way, I trust that a lot more than I trust her," Caroline said.

Ivan noticed the devastated look on Alaric's face. He got up and sat down next to him, patting him comfortingly on the back. "I'm sorry man. I know how much you wanted this."

Alaric nodded. "I'm sorry for almost knocking up your girlfriend."

That caused the three of them to laugh, but it was mostly relief from Caroline and Ivan over the fact that Alaric felt well enough to at least attempt to joke a little.

Caroline's phone suddenly rang, and she pulled it out and politely turned away from the two men as she answered, "Hey, Matt... Now's not really a good time."

"Bonnie and I found two dozen people compelled to hang out at the high school last night. I've been trying to call her, but she won't pick up. I'm starting to get a little worried," Matt said.

Caroline frowned. "I think she's with Enzo."

"What?" Matt asked, the shock clear in his tone. "Well, now I'm a lot worried. What the hell is she doing with him?"

Caroline shook her head. Ever since the whole "baby" situation arose, she wasn't thinking of anything else. "I don't know. Were you able to clear them out?

"We had to tranquilize them just to get them out of there, but they were all back this morning like they never left," Matt replied.

"Why would someone compel people to gather at the high school in an abandoned town?" Caroline wondered. No response from his end. "Matt? Matt?"

The horror was clear in his tone as he asked, "Hey, Care. How fast can you get to the grill?"

* * *

Lily sat in the armchair in front of the coffee table. Stefan, Damon, and I sat across from her on the leather couch, though Damon sat between Stefan and I after I pointedly glared at him when he tried to get me to sit next to Stefan. On the table in front of us was a decanter of bourbon and four glasses. The tension in the air was clear, and Stefan finally broke the silence.

"I invited you over here because we can't keep doing this. I mean, I... I want us all to start over," Stefan said.

Lily smiled. "Well, uh, if the Pilgrims and Indians could do it, I'm sure there's hope for us."

"We call them Native Americans now, but we didn't bring you here to correct your outdated racial slurs," Damon retorted. He looked over at his brother. "Did we, Stefan?"

Stefan ignored him as he said, "I want to convince you of all the reasons that you need to help us get rid of Julian."

Ugh, _Julian_. The name made me want to set something on fire. I was sick and tired of hearing it.

"I'm sorry. Is this some kind of set-up?" Lily chuckled nervously.

"Just hear me out for a second. In 1863... I got Valerie pregnant," Stefan confessed, and Lily's eyes widened in shock.

The annoying pang in my heart caused me to say, "And yet, 150 years later, we're all still paying for your nail and bail."

Stefan shot me a glare which I matched before he looked back over at Lily, who was still silent with shock. "She kept it a secret from me, from you, from everyone. And Julian found out about it somehow, and he felt threatened by it. He beat her until the baby was no longer alive. Her child- your grandchild- was murdered by Julian. She swore me to secrecy, but the truth is too important. You need to know what kind of man he is."

Okay, so Stefan would tell Lily, but not me? I scoffed to myself as I shook my head.

Damon, clearly uncomfortable with all the tension in the room, said, "What I think Stefan's trying to say is... you have really crappy taste."

Lily was quiet for a moment, trying to collect her feelings. She turned to look at Stefan. "My son... Valerie lied to me for over a century about you. Then she tried to kill a member of my family in cold blood and tried to incinerate the love of my life. Do yourself a favor. Don't lose any more sleep over the words that come out of that poor girl's mouth."

Thank you! Someone on _my_ side.

Stefan looked disappointed, but not surprised with his mother's reaction. "Wow. I guess the joke's on me then, right? I mean, I was the idiot who believed her."

Stefan picked up the decanter and poured us all drinks. Damon looked over at Stefan with exasperation.

"I did, too... about many things. But I will not make that same mistake again," Lily swore.

"Here's to moving on then, right?" Stefan asked, standing to his feet.

Lily eagerly stood to her feet as well. Damon and I looked over at each other before rolling our eyes and standing up as well. We both grabbed glass from the table.

"To moving on," Lily smiled.

She tipped the glass back and drank. I drank too, sip by sip, but Lily downed it all in one go. Too late she felt her lips, mouth, and throat sizzling and burning as she dropped the glass and collapsed to the ground.

"Concentrated vervain," Stefan said to his brother, who had a clearly shocked look on his face.

"Wow! Did I ever mention I like your style?" Damon asked.

"I had a feeling we were gonna have to do this the hard way..." Stefan shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but why am I here?" I asked them, and it forced the two of them to look over at me. I pointed at Stefan. "Your mother, your baby, your problem."

"Hey, you have the last name Salvatore now too," Damon protested. He pointed at Lily. "As does she. She's as much your mother as she is ours."

"Biologically she's just your mother," I gritted through my teeth. "I'm out of here," I said as I turned around and stomped out the door.

I was opening my car door when I felt a hand on my arm. I automatically pulled it away as I looked over at Stefan. "What?"

"Can we please talk? For real?" He asked.

"You wanna talk?" I asked. I slammed the car door shut. "Fine. Talk. Why didn't you tell me about the baby?"

"Because it wasn't my secret to tell," Stefan explained.

"Bullshit," I said as soon as the last word fell from his lips. "That kid was yours too, you had every right to tell me. And we're husband and wife, Stefan, we don't keep secrets from each other!"

"Oh, like you've never kept a secret from me?" He asked.

My mind flashed to Kai, but everything of Kai that I saw was in my head, some sort of PTSD I must have been suffering through. I shook my head. "Not on the level of getting someone pregnant."

"But you-" Stefan started, but he paused. "Are you not wearing your rings?"

My hands were on my hips, and my ringless finger was in clear view. I put my hands behind my back so that he couldn't see them. "I just took them off because I didn't want to look at them, okay? They just reminded me of you and at the time all I wanted to do was punch your face."

"And yet you didn't put them back on?"

I took in a deep breath. "You have a mother who is about to wake up from a vervain nap that you need to convince to help kill her new beau," I reminded him. "It's a Julian priority, and I always come _after _Julian, remember?"

Stefan's face immediately dropped. "That's not fair, Jules-"

I ignored his protests as I opened the door of my car and got in, shutting the door tightly behind me. I turned the car on and threw it into drive, leaving Stefan in the driveway by himself.

"You should try and see this from his point of view," Kai said, suddenly in the passenger seat next to me.

"Don't you start," I grumbled as I drove down the road, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.

"I'm just saying that if you took a minute to step away from the situation, you'll realize that it's not all about you," He said.

I looked over at him in disbelief. "Weren't you the one who was trying to convince me that Stefan was the one who was wrong?"

He shrugged a little. "What can I say? I'm a complicated guy."

"That's for sure," I muttered as I concentrated on the road.

"Look, maybe _you're_ the one who needs to hash out their differences with Valerie," Kai started. "Maybe once you finally talk to her-and _talk_, not bicker or out sass-you'll start seeing this situation their way."

"And how am I supposed to do that if I want to tear out her throat every time I even _hear_ her name?" I asked.

"Don't think of her as Valerie: the girl who was pregnant with her husband's kid. Just think of her as Valerie Tulle-a scared, siphoning witch who was shunned by her family and suddenly promised the start of a new one which was cruelly snatched from her after her child was taken from her."

Well, when he put it like _that_...

* * *

Ivan and Caroline stepped into the Grill, and Matt quickly found them and explained the situation that was going on.

"I found more at the courthouse and another dozen at the supermarket," Matt revealed.

"What's with all the IVs?" Ivan asked.

"Saline... to keep them hydrated," Matt answered. "Which you'd only need if you were gonna keep them here for a while."

Caroline stopped in front of a woman who was sitting motionless in her chair. She leaned forward to look at the woman in the eyes before waving her hand in front of her face, which elicited no response from the woman. "They're using them as human blood banks," Caroline concluded as she sighed and turned back around to face Matt and Ivan. "I guess we know what the Heretics are having for Thanksgiving dinner."

"Problem is I can't find a single bite mark on any of them, which is somehow creepier. They're not being fed on. They're being fed," Matt said.

"Fed?" Ivan repeated. "As in someone's trying give the gift of a great Thanksgiving?"

Matt shook his head. "More like they're trying to fatten up the cattle for slaughter," He answered as he turned to a table that was covered in take-out containers. "I found these in the trashcan. This is salmon, steak. Iron-rich foods- probably to boost their red blood cell count."

Caroline, horrified at the statement, gagged and covered her mouth. She rushed over to the nearby trashcan and hurled. Ivan immediately ran to her side and held her hair back as she threw up, gently rubbing circles around her back to comfort her.

"Whoa, Care. Hey. Um... Are you okay?" Matt asked.

Ivan could feel Caroline slightly shake under his hand as she wiped her mouth with one hand, balancing herself on the trashcan with the other, but Ivan was mostly holding her up. She looked up at Ivan, and he could see the scared look in her eyes as she answered Matt, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine. You just puked," Matt rebuked.

Caroline gathered her strength but remained leaning on Ivan as she turned around to look at Matt. "I... I think I had an expired blood bag last night or something. You know, and then the talk of the food and the iron and the slaughtered cattle..." Caroline felt herself turning green again as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. Ivan rubbed her back softly again.

"...So you're a vampire with food poisoning?" Matt tried.

Caroline's eyes flew open. "Yes, Matt, I am a vampire with food poisoning, standing in a room of much bigger problems," she snapped. "So stop looking at me like you've never seen a vampire vomit before and start thinking of a way to break their compulsion."

Matt sighed, but moved on. "Short of turning them into vampires, I can't think of a way to break their compulsion."

"Well, maybe we don't have to break it," Caroline thought. She sighed as the answer came into her head. _Jules isn't going to like this..._ "Maybe someone can siphon it away."

* * *

"Are we really trusting Valerie?" Ivan asked Caroline after she was finished on the phone with her. Matt went to check on the humans, so Ivan had the opportunity to steal the blonde vampire away. "I mean, she _is_ the reason that Jules and Stefan are having problems _and_ she gave you false hope about..." He cautiously looked over at Matt, before back to Caroline. "_You know what_."

Caroline sighed. "I know she is, and I know she did. But we don't have any other siphoners that might even _consider _it. There's no point in talking to Beau, Mary Louise and Nora are so wrapped up in their own business that they don't even notice other people, and Oscar is dead." She finished with a huff, crossing her arms.

Ivan reached over and took one of Caroline's hands. "I'm sorry about the pregnancy test, Caroline," he said. "I know how much Ric wanted it, but I also know that you wanted it to be true, too."

"I did not," She protested, and when Ivan gave her a look, she realized she wasn't gonna get away with it and sighed. "I just...I thought it was so crazy that maybe it was true. I mean, stranger things have happened. Vampires, werewolves, and witches turned out to be real. I _became _a vampire. My boyfriend is a Traveler who came back from the dead and was the _last_ person I expected to steal my heart. I just thought that maybe this baby thing could be real too. I mean, could you imagine?" Her eyes glistened a little. "_Me_. With a baby. As a _mother_."

Ivan squeezed her hand. "You would have made the best mother, Caroline."

Caroline didn't get the chance to reply because the door to the Mystic Grill opened, and Valerie walked in. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of all the compelled humans sitting at the tables. The two of them had gotten to her just after Matt had, and Matt had already seemed to tell her the situation.

"You want me to siphon the compulsion out of all these people?" She asked as she examined one of the statue-like humans. She turned around and laughed exasperatedly. "Do you have any idea how long that will take?"

"Uh, probably the amount of time that it will take to siphon one person times the amount of people in this room..." Caroline said sarcastically.

With a roll of her eyes, Valerie said, " I am all for scuttling Julian's plans, but siphoning these people won't make a difference. He'll just replace them. You'd be trading one life for another." Her eyes flickered to Caroline's stomach before she made eye contact with ther again and lowered her voice. "Speaking of, I can't imagine this is the safest town for someone with your status to be roaming around in."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Matt asked, suddenly interested.

"Nothing," Ivan and Caroline both said quickly, looking very suspicious.

Valerie scoffed. "I wouldn't call a pregnant vampire 'nothing.'"

Matt's jaw dropped. "What?"

"I am not pregnant," Caroline practically snarled at Valerie. She turned to face Matt. "I am not pregnant! Okay? Valerie over here convinced poor Alaric that the Gemini Coven dumped his twin babies into my..." Caroline winced as she realized where the conversation was headed and changed the subject. "You know what? Never mind. Because it's not true." She turned back to Valerie. "It is not true. A test confirmed it. Yeah, and thanks to you, Alaric is probably still at home waiting for that second blue line to show up. So, you know what? Maybe now would be an appropriate time to call him and explain how you could get something so important so incredibly wrong."

Frustrated, Valerie gave Caroline a stern look. "Do I need to remind you that you summoned me here for my help? If you don't think my talents are up to snuff, then I will gladly find other things to do with my time."

Ivan finally intervened. "Listen, there's no reason to start a fight. Valerie, if you're really so insistent on helping, then help us take away these people's compulsion."

Valerie wrinkled her eyebrows. "You're Juliet's brother, aren't you? Why would you want my help?"

"Because you're the only person who can help and if Caroline can seem to trust you, then so can I," He said as he put his arm around Caroline to emphasis that whatever they did, they were in it together.

Valerie's eyes softened as she watched them, and she sighed in defeat.

* * *

"You took a wrong turn and ended up in Mystic Falls. Leave and forget everything that you saw here," Caroline compelled the final person, and Ivan escorted him out the door. When he got back, he caught Caroline pressing down on her stomach.

"Care?" Ivan said, and Caroline looked up sharply, dropping her hands from her stomach.

"What?" She asked.

"Are you trying to convince us or yourself that you aren't pregnant?" He asked.

"Ivan, don't tell me that you're starting to believe it," she said.

He shrugged a little. "I can't believe I'm considering it either. But Caroline, I've never seen you throw up before."

She awkwardly crossed her arms over her chest. "That is because I am polite, not pregnant! I can't have Alaric's babies inside of me. Not only is it impossible, but it literally defies the physics of the universe."

Caroline trailed off as she looked behind Ivan, and he followed her gaze to see an angry looking Beau enter the restaurant. Ivan immediately turned around and stood in front of Caroline protectively. It was already his instinct to protect Caroline, but if she really _was_ pregnant...he suddenly felt the instinct to protect the babies inside her stomach, too.

When Beau saw Valerie with Caroline, Ivan, and Matt, he became even more angry. Valerie ran over to Beau to try and calm him down.

"Beau. I don't know what atrocities Julian has planned, but you're better than this. I know you. I'm your friend," She tried.

Beau angrily casted a silent pain infliction spell on Valerie, and she immediately clutched her head in pain. Matt slowly pulled his side arm out of his holster as Valerie tried to reason with Beau through her pain.

"Julian is evil!" she swore. "He doesn't care about the family. He only cares about himself."

Beau ignored this and made Valerie's pain worse. She screamed as she slowly began sinking to the ground.

Before Ivan could run over to Beau to try and stop him (what would have been a foolish and fatal incident, but Ivan felt compelled to help Valerie, too) Matt shot at Beau twice. The first bullet hit him in the shoulder, but he caught the second one in his hand.

Beau started to cast a pain infliction spell on Caroline as well, and she groaned in pain and clutched her temples. "Unh! Ugh. Unh!" She groaned.

Now _really _mad, Ivan lifted his hand to incantate a spell, but it seemed he was beaten to it.

A stake was driven through Beau's back, the tip breaking through the skin to the other side so that it was visible to his chest. She made sure that she missed his heart, and they let Beau drop to the ground as she wiped her hands on her jeans.

"_Juliet_?" Ivan and Caroline both exclaimed in surprise.

Juliet ignored them as she turned around and to _everyone's_ surprise, she marched right over to Valerie, who was still trying to recover from Beau's assault. She put her hand on Valerie's back and took her hand, helping her stand up. "You need to cloak us before Beau can get his strength back," she told Valerie.

Valerie, bewildered, obeyed the command as she cloaked herself, Juliet, Caroline, Ivan, and Matt. Once they were all cloaked, they ran.

* * *

When we all fleed from Beau, Matt went one way while Ivan, Caroline, Valerie and I went another. We stopped just behind an abandoned building and tried to catch our breath.

Kai vanished when I decided to try and talk to Valerie since I sent him to go find her, and when he did, he informed me that they were under attack by Beau in the Mystic Grill. So I booked it to the Grill as fast as I could, subdued Beau, made sure Valerie was still alive so I could try to talk to her, and we all ran.

"Are you hurt?" Valerie asked Caroline.

Caroline sighed. "I'm fine."

Valerie gave her a look. "You're not really the one that I'm worried about."

"Wait, what?" I asked as I looked at the three of them. "Who are you worried about?"

"Caroline's pregnant," Valerie announced, and my eyes bugged out of my head.

"She's _what_?!" I bellowed, my plan to talk to Valerie went right out the window as I stepped over to Caroline. "Seriously, I don't talk to you for two days and all of a sudden you're pregnant? How is that possible?"

Caroline rolled her eyes and scoffed in frustration. "It's not possible because I'm not pregnant! It's just something that Valerie is trying to insist. She thought that the Gemini coven put Jo and Alaric's babies inside of me to try and save the future of the Gemini's."

"Wait, Jo's babies?" Kai asked, but of course, I was the only one who could hear him. "I thought I killed them!"

As my jaw fell open and close, thinking and failing of what questions to ask, Caroline turned to Valerie. "Ugh! Isn't it possible that 'Kill the psycho' and 'Save the babies' just sound similar in Witch-Latin? Not to mention that you've been out of their loop for, like, one hundred years..."

Valerie looked genuinely hurt by Caroline's comment. "One thousand years could pass- I would never forget that spell. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about those words."

"Why do you know so much about this?" Ivan asked.

I answered for Valerie. "Because you've tried to use it before, haven't you, Valerie?" I asked.

Valerie's eyes widened as she looked at me. "How did you-"

"Valerie was pregnant before she turned," I said, and Valerie's eyes kept widening until I was sure they were gonna pop out.

"How do you-" Caroline started.

"Why Valerie hates Julian so much?" I started, looking over at Valerie. A strange sense of sympathy washed over me as I saw the pricks of tears at the corner of her eyes, and suddenly, I was seeing her as Kai told me-just a barely twenty year old woman who lost the only sense of happiness she thought she could have had. "When she got pregnant, he ended it to keep her quiet."

"How do you know off all of this?" Ivan asked incredulously.

I took a deep breath in. "It's the big secret that she has with Stefan," I said, and Caroline and Ivan's eyes widened when they realized. I ignored them as I turned to Valerie, who had a shocked and betrayed look on her face. "Don't be mad at Stefan. I found out accidentally-I genuinely don't think he was ever planning on telling me. Your secret would have gone to the grave with him."

"So the baby was his?" Caroline asked Valerie, and she could only nod solemnly.

"How long have you known?" Valerie asked.

"I just found out last night," I told her.

Caroline's eyes widened with realization. "That big fight you said you had with Stefan-"

"Was because of the baby," I finished as I nodded.

Awkwardly, Valerie cleared her throat before she turned to Caroline. "Our story may have ended in tragedy, but you have a chance to see that your friend Alaric doesn't."

"Valerie, the test was negative," Ivan reminded her.

"Test again," Valerie said.

* * *

I stood outside of the exam room where an OB/GYN was performing an ultrasound on Caroline. Ivan and Alaric were inside, and while Ivan told me he wanted me to stay for moral support, he didn't want me inside. He said he could handle that bit himself.

I was just kind of pacing outside of the room with my hands in my back pockets when I heard, "Alright, let's have it."

I looked over to see that Valerie was standing there, her arms crossed. "Let's hear all the anger. Admittedly, I deserve it more than Stefan does."

I huffed as I turned and looked at Valerie. Really _looked_ at her. I had so much hatred and jealousy over something that, admittedly, never had anything to do with me. I kept saying how it happened over a century ago, and while that was right, I wasn't alive a century ago. So it was absolutely not my business. I couldn't believe I was thinking this.

"I need to get this out, because if I don't, there won't be anything left of my relationship to salvage," I started. "I'm not going to lie, Valerie. I was jealous of you and Stefan."

"You? Jealous of _me_?" She repeated in disbelief.

I nodded. "I had just gotten back together was Stefan after the two of us being apart for so long. I had so much anger for him, but then I had fallen back in love with him and I realized how close I was to letting him go and I wasn't going to make that same mistake again. And then you stepped in, this person who has such a special relationship that Stefan that's never going to be created again-you were supposed to be the mother of his _child_. Even though you never had that child, it's still something that only the two of you could grieve over, since it was something that happened that involved only the two of you. And the thought of Stefan having such a personal relationship with someone _else_-especially someone who he claimed to care nothing for and then was suddenly risking his life for so he could exact revenge-was driving me crazy, and I guess I kind of directed that anger at the two of you when really," I stepped closer to Valerie, and I was surprised when she let me. "I was angry at myself for feeling that way. I mean, you two had lost a _child._ A baby that would never be. And all I could do was feel jealous. Like, an actual _life_ was lost and all I've been doing is thinking about myself when as a good wife, I should be supporting Stefan through this, not being mad at him and throwing accusations in his face." I took a deep breath, and although the weirded out look on Valerie's face made me falter, I kept going. "What I'm really trying to say, Valerie, is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry you and Stefan lost your baby, I'm sorry Julian hurt you and you had to live years with that tyrant, and I'm sorry that inside of being supportive of the two of you I freaked out and was selfish."

Valerie was actually _crying_. She reached up and wiped at some tears. "I didn't expect that," she managed to laugh. "I can't believe you just said all that. I always thought it'd be easier to just hate you, especially because you're the one that Stefan ended up choosing to be his wife. And with you being mad at Stefan and seemingly hating me back, it made it all the more easier. But you just had to go and ruin it with that speech..." She trailed off a bit. "You're too good of a person to hate, Juliet. And while I'm still kinda mad, I'm glad that Stefan has you. I truly did love him, and I only wanted what was best for him."

"You mean you still _do_ love him," I corrected. She opened her mouth to argue, but I held up my hand. "Don't even try to argue, I can see it."

"Right," She said as she awkwardly closed her mouth.

I rocked back and forth on my heels, before sighing. "I'm going to talk to Stefan first, but I'd like to help with killing Julian."

I think I could have killed Valerie that day with all the surprises and shocks I was giving her. "You do?"

"The guy killed my husband's child. And if I'm going to be honest, if Julian hadn't, you and him might have been together to raise that child and I never would have known Stefan. Even if it meant me no longer being happy, Stefan would've been with that kid. I know he would've, because the two of us talked about having kids once," I told her.

Valerie managed a smile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Does Stefan's nose still flare when he sleeps?"

I couldn't help it; I burst into laughter. "Oh my God, when he snores?" I confirmed, and Valerie clapped as she laughed too. "All the time!"

"And does he still do that awkward stuttering thing when he's nervous?" She asked.

I scoffed. "You should've seen him when we first met. Even though, admittedly, I was worse."

We kept laughing, swapping stories of how ridiculous Stefan was, and even though I hadn't fully forgiven Stefan for lying nor was I completely comfortable with this predicament, if I wanted to move forward with my life, I had to make myself do both of those things. And then finally, Stefan and I could put Valerie Tulle behind us forever.

* * *

When the OB/GYN left the room, Valerie and I ceased conversation and slipped into the exam room, where Caroline was laying on a bed next to a monitor. Ivan was on one side of her, a hand on his shoulder in comfort while Alaric was on the other side of her.

"We, um, saw the doctor leave," Valerie said as she pointed at me.

"She just told us you were wrong," Caroline said disappointedly.

Valerie gave Caroline the tiniest smile. "Are you sure about that?" She asked as she went over to Caroline. She put her hand on her stomach, and it started to glow red as she started siphoning away magic...somehow.

"What are you doing?" Caroline and Ivan both demanded. Suddenly, Caroline snapped her head up at Ivan. "Oh, my God," She breathed.

Ivan turned around and grabbed the ultrasound wound. He turned back around and put it on her stomach, Caroline's hands moving on top of Ivan's.

"...I'm not sure you're qualified to use that..." Alaric said.

"Just let them," Valerie told him as Ivan and Caroline both moved the wand around.

"You know, it never made any sense to me. The spell pointed directly at you, but the tests came up negative," Valerie started. "And then, it hit me- I cloaked you from Beau to protect you. Alaric's babies are the future of the coven. They would have protected them in any way they could."

"Oh my God..." I breathed as it hit me. "The Gemini cloaked them."

Valerie nodded in confirmation as we all turned to look at the screen. To all of our surprise, both babies were inside of Caroline's womb. Their heartbeats became audible, and Caroline gasped lightly as she reached up and grabbed Ivan's hand, squeezing it tightly as she stared at the screen in awe.

Ivan and I exchanged bewildered looks, but he looked back down at Caroline and kissed the crown of her head as he grinned down at her, before looking back over to the screen himself.

I couldn't believe it.

Caroline was pregnant, and I was trying to forgive/be friends with Valerie Tulle.

The world must be ending.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Welp, didn't really expect it to be a Ivan/Caroline heavy chapter, but what can you do, right? Besides, they're cute together :)**

**Also, this chapter was originally supposed to be Damon/Stefan/Jules/Lily centric with Ivan and Caroline subplotting, but what can you do once the writing flow starts?**

**Also, if it seems like I rushed the Juliet/Valerie thing, Juliet is pretty mature. Once she saw the light, she saw it. Besides, the next couple of chapters are supposed to be Valerie related, and I feel like once Juliet saw past herself in the situation, she would see that there was more to it. She's selfish when it comes to Stefan, but that's something she slowly needs to get over, and the first step in doing that is to forgive/befriend Valerie.**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next Chapter...**

_**Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me...**_

**A FRACTURED FAMILY-** As Julian and Lily throw a party to celebrate Nora and Mary Louise's Anniversary, Stefan and Damon set in motion a risky plan to eliminate a new threat posed by Julian. Meanwhile, followed by a major revealation uncovered by Valerie, Caroline and Ivan are forced to accept their new reality. Trying to move past their problems, Juliet becomes friends with Valerie in an attempt to strengthen her relationship with Stefan. Finally, determined to do what's best for her family, Lily makes the most difficult decision of her life.


	53. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **So I've decided that this story will most likely end after this current season. At this point, I don't see the Vampire Diaries getting renewed for season 8 and even if it does, I don't want to drag out Stefan and Juliet's story into a storyline or a show that in all seriousness I do not enjoy anymore, and that reflects into my story writing. So after season 7, perhaps I'll do a wrap up chapter to the story if I don't do so in the last episode of season 7, but this story will end. I'll miss Stefan and Juliet to death, but I don't want to write for a story that I'm starting to lose interest in.

That being said, you won't have to say goodbye to Stefan and Juliet for long! Yes, I am planning on going back and writing Stefan and Juliet's story from the very beginning of The Vampire Diaries, if people would be interested in that. Grant it, there won't be much love from their sides (at least Stefan's side) until season 4 after the Stelena break up and the two of them become more aware of their feelings for each other, but we'll get to see Klaus and Juliet's relationship, Stefan and Juliet as best friends, and that kind of thing.

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"I don't know if I can do this," I muttered into my phone as I sat in the driveway of the Lockwood mansion.

"Listen, if I can face you and Stefan after my whole drama with the baby, then you can face Stefan," Valerie replied. "Now, we're just waiting on Lily's text, so just come inside and talk to him."

"I never thought I'd see this day," I mumbled.

"What? That you'd be apologizing to Stefan?" She asked.

"No, that you're the one trying to keep me calm," I responded as I hung up. I took the car key out of the ignition and opened the door, getting out. I walked up to the front door of the Lockwood mansion, and I was just about to open the door when it swung open and Stefan was on the other side.

"Oh! Hi," Stefan said.

"Hi," I replied awkwardly back. "I, uh...I came to-"

Just then, Damon came barreling down the stairs and rolled his eyes when he saw me. "Ah. Stefan-distraction machine. Please tell me you're not coming."

"Where?" I asked.

"Nora and Mary Louise's anniversary," Valerie responded as she came up beside Damon. "And yes, she is, but she has something to talk about with her husband first, doesn't she?" Valerie asked pointedly, looking at me.

I nodded quickly. "Yeah, she's right. We gotta talk."

Stefan raised his eyebrows as he looked between Valerie and I, surprised that Valerie and I were acting so civilized with each other.

"Uh, okay," Stefan started. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Uhh..." I stuttered, looking over at Damon, who was staring at me expectantly.

"Don't start sweating," Kai advised as he whispered into my ear. "It's not attractive and it won't help."

"What, is it a hard one?" Damon asked. "Spit it out, sis."

I looked over to Valerie for helping, pleading with my eyes to get rid of our audience. She nodded as she realized what I wanted her to do. "You know what? Damon and I will go together. Stefan can follow behind."

Damon scoffed. "What? No!"

"Yes. Let's go," Valerie insisted as she grabbed Damon's arm and dragged him out of the house. She gave me a tenative smile of encouragement as she walked out, leaving Stefan and I standing awkwardly in the foyer.

I walked more into the house and turned around to face Stefan, who had a puzzled look on his face. "Uh... What was that all about?" He asked. "I mean, you and Valerie actually talked to each other without one snarky comment."

I huffed, grabbing his arm and pulling us into the Lockwood living room. "We gotta talk," I repeated, sitting him down on the couch.

We both sat a little awkwardly until I cleared my throat. Not letting myself lose my nerve, I turned to Stefan and blurted, "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," Stefan insisted. "I-"

"No, let me finish," I insisted, putting my hand up to stop him from talking. He relented, and I opened my mouth again. "This entire time, I shouldn't have acted the way I did. You were right; of all people I should have been one to want to help Valerie. Valerie lost a child, and all I've ever wanted is to have a child. I should have been sympathetic instead of jealous. And I already talked to Valerie, and we're trying to move past this. And if I can move past it with Valerie, I can sure as hell move past it with you. If you can, please forgive me. And if you'll let me, I'd like to help you kill Julian."

Stefan hesitated for a second, before he pitched forward and captured my lips with his. He kissed me hard, wrapping his hands into my hair. I kissed him back just as hard as I cupped his face. We kissed for about a minute before Stefan pulled back. "You were right. I should have told you. That baby was mine too, and I had every right to tell you. But I didn't. I didn't because I was scared that it would scare you off and make you mad and all I wanted to do was kill Julian without losing you in the process. But I guess I did."

"You're not gonna lose me again," I told him as I reached into my jeans pocket. I grabbed what I was looking for and pulled them out of my pocket. I held my hand out and opened my fist to reveal my engagement ring and wedding band. "No matter what you do, you'll never lose me."

Stefan smiled down at my rings before taking them out of my hand. "You promise?" He asked as he held up them.

I smiled back at him. "I promise."

With that confirmation, he took my hand and slid the rings back on to my ring finger on my left hand. As soon as they were on, he brought my fingers to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against them. "So this is it. No more running away, no more secrets, no more lies."

"Agreed," I nodded.

"Then you should tell him about me," Kai said from his spot behind me. "If there's really not gonna be any more secrets then you should tell him about me."

I chose to ignore Kai as Stefan asked, "Why do you want to help kill Julian? I thought you didn't think that was your problem."

"Your problems are my problems, remember?" I reminded him. "And I can't believe I'm saying this, but Damon was right. Lily is as much my mother now as she is yours and I'm going to help free her and everyone else from this tyrant."

Stefan reached over and hugged me, pulling me to his chest. "Thank you. You really are the best wife that someone could ask for."

I nodded against his shoulder. "I know I am." I pulled back. "But if we're going to do this, we have to do it now. Valerie already told me what I can do to help her, so you should get on over to the party and I'll call Valerie and find out where she is."

"Are you really going to make nice with Valerie?" Stefan asked.

I shrugged a little. "Once I got past the petty jealousy, we realized we had a lot more in common than we thought. We both like the same kind of food, literature, we love to talk about you."

"Talk about me?" He repeated. "What do you talk about?"

I gave him a once over before patting his knee and standing up. "That's for us to know and you not to," I informed him as I made my way to the front door.

"That's real funny," Stefan said. "No but really, what do you talk about?"

* * *

Valerie texted me and told me that she was in a shed on the grounds with Mary Louise, Nora, and Beau. I readied myself to make sure that I would be able to fight them off without them killing me and made my way to the shed. I opened the door, and they all turned their heads to see me walking in.

Mary Louise snarled. "What is she doing here?"

"She's here to help me," Valerie told her as I came and stood next to her.

"Colluding with our enemies?" Mary Louise growled. "I can't believe you, Valerie."

"Juliet isn't an enemy," Valerie insisted. "Through her marriage to Stefan, she's Lily's daughter-in-law, making her a part of this family too."

Mary Louise rolled her eyes in frustration. "This is so typical! Nora and I have one night a year, and Valerie can't stop herself from trying to steal the spotlight."

"God, for once in your life, can you not be a selfish bitch?" I asked Mary Louise, and she sneered at me in response.

"This isn't about me. It's about our family," Valerie said.

Suddenly, the door opened, and we all looked over to see Lily walking in and stopping next to Valerie on her other side.

"Hold on. Where's Julian? We should wait for him," Nora suggested.

"Julian won't be joining us," Lily confirmed, and Valerie then launched into her story of what Julian had done to her.

"His face went cold," Valerie continued, trying to keep herself from shaking and/or bursting into tears. "I couldn't fight him off. I couldn't... I couldn't stop him. Julian beat me savagely and... when it was finally over, my baby was dead."

I reached up and put my hand on her shoulder, comforting her. She gave me a grateful look before turning back to the other Heretics. "Murdering my child wasn't just some violent whim. It was a calculated, manipulative act."

"This doesn't make any sense. Why would Julian do such a thing? What did he stand to gain?" Mary Louise asked, confused.

"Me. I would have never gone to Europe with him had I known about my grandchild," Lily revealed.

"Grandchild?" Nora asked with a stunned expression on her face.

I nodded. "Stefan was the baby's father," I confirmed.

"I couldn't cope. I took my own life and became the first Heretic. And when Julian saw how powerful I was, he wanted more. We're his army. We're not his family. We always have been," Valerie insisted.

Nora and Beau both had horrified and appalled looks on their faces. Nora turned to Lily. "Lily... Is that true?"

Lily nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "I believe every word Valerie said. When she told me what happened to her, it was as if all the lights in the room went on... And I could finally see Julian for who he really is. That's why I'm leaving him."

Nora and Mary Louise both gasped at the news, and Valerie swooped in. "She can't do it without your help. So the question is... Who do you believe?"

Mary Louise and Nora both looked over at Beau, who appeared to be scowling as he lunged for Valerie. I lifted my arm to incantate a spell to get Beau off of Valerie, but I was surprised to see Beau calmly holding his hands up to Valerie's face. Once he opened his eyes again, his face fell, and he immediately took her into a hug. This must have surprised Valerie, because she instantly burst into tears as she hugged Beau back.

I couldn't believe how selfish I was being before. I lifted my hand and rubbed Valerie's back, trying to help comfort her. When Beau finally pulled away from Valerie, Nora stepped forward and hugged Valerie as well. She pulled back and looked over expectantly at her girlfriend, who looked conflicted. "Mare. You heard what she said. What are you waiting for?"

Mary Louise looked flustered as she said, "Sorry. It's just this is a lot to take in."

"That's why we stick together. We're family," Nora insisted.

Reluctantly, Mary Louise went to Valerie and gave her a hug. When she pulled back, I caught the relieved look on Valerie's face as she gave me a one armed hug. "Thank you," She whispered into my ear.

I had wrapped my own arm around her shoulder, and I patted her on the shoulder. "You're welcome," I told her.

Nora eyed Valerie and I. "Since when have you two become friends?"

Valerie and I looked at each other before we looked back at Nora. "We just did," I answered. "It turns out, wanting to kill someone brings people close together."

Lily went over and sat down in a chair before gesturing to Beau. "Beau, give me your hand."

He walked over and took Lily's hand, the latter clutching her adoptive son's hand tightly in her own as she prepared for the next phase of the plan.

"What is she doing?" Mary Louise asked.

"Bracing herself," Valerie answered.

"For what?" Nora went on.

As if in answer, Lily hissed in pain and squeezed Beau's hand as a puncture wound appeared on her neck and started to bleed profusely. Mary Louise, alarmed by this sudden injury, rushed over to her as Valerie, Nora and I watched on.

"Lily, you're bleeding!" Mary Louise pointed out the obvious as she took the handkerchief from Beau's suit pocket and started blotting at the wound on Lily's neck.

"It's about to get a lot worse," Lily told her.

Valerie looked over at me. "Let's go," she said, and I nodded before following her out the door and back to the Salvatore boarding house. I had to stop at the bathroom first, but I urged Valerie on.

After I was done, I met up with her at the parlor room. She was hesitating before going on, but when I got to her, I patted her on the back and urged her forward.

When we got inside, Damon was playing pinball in the parlor while Julian, who was tied up to a chair, spoke to him, though the words were obviously falling on deaf ears.

"And yet here you are, essentially risking your life to be here with me in order to keep her alive," Julian continued as Valerie and I finally walked into the room.

"Don't listen to him. He knows he's dead either way. But if he can provoke you to kill him now, then you spend eternity as the boy who killed his own mother," Valerie advised Damon as she turned around to face Julian.

Julian smirked at her devilishly. "Mmm, aren't you a clever girl? It's a shame. I suppose your little one would have had the same smarts..."

I could tell Valerie was going to do something that she was going to regret, so I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her back a little. "Hey, it's okay," I told her as I grabbed her chin and made her look into my eyes. "Don't let him get to you."

She nodded her head as she finally calmed down. Once she did, I muttered, "Sorry about this, Lily," under my breath as I swirled around and sucker punched Julian right in the face.

Damon and Valerie both gaped in shock as I shook my hand free of the pain. "Rot in hell, man," I told him as I stepped back towards Damon, who had lifted his hand to give me a high five.

Footsteps ran into the room, and I looked over to see Mary Louise running into the parlor. She gasped when she saw Julian all tied up.

"What is this?" Mary Louise asked.

"Apparently whoever wins at foosball gets to kill me," Julian snarked.

"It's _pinball_," Damon corrected. "and I have the high score. Did you break that link yet?"

Mary Louise looked over at Valerie with a defensive expression. "How do I know that you were pregnant with Stefan's child?"

I spluttered. "Really?" I asked in disbelief.

Valerie nodded at what I said. "Are you testing me? Do you really believe that I would make that up?"

"You lied to Lily about your affair with Stefan, just like you lied to us about killing Oscar, so why should I believe that you're telling the truth now?" Mary Louise asked.

Damon rolled his eyes as he stepped away from the pinball machine. "All right, Nancy Grace, enough. Let the adults handle this."

Mary Louise lifted her hand and caused a pain infliction spell on Damon that caused him to clutch his head in agony and drop to the ground, groaning. "Ow!"

"What are you doing?" Valerie gaped at her, and Mary Louise simply flicked her wrist and telekinetically snapped Valerie's neck, and she dropped to the ground.

"Hey!" I protested as I stepped forward and lifted my hand. Before I could do anything, Mary Louise flicked her wrist and my head knocked into the pinball machine behind me. My head hit the machine hard, and I knocked right out as I slipped to the ground.

* * *

When I woke up, my head was pounding and I found myself sitting on a chair. When I tried to move to stand up, I couldn't do it. Looking down at my neck, I realized with annoyance that my vervain necklace was missing and that I must have been compelled not to leave my seat. On my left was Damon, and on my right was Valerie, and the two of them were tied up.

"Oh, my God..." I heard, and I gently lifted my head to see Lily gaping in horror.

"Things have grown out of hand, Lily. Enough is enough," Julian stated.

"What are you doing? Let them go!" Lily demanded.

Julian bended over to tighten the chains binding me, Damon, and Valerie to our chairs before turning to address Lily. "I can't. 'Cause if I do, this bloody cycle will continue. And I love you- and the family that we have built together- far too much for that to happen. So... one lives, one dies. You have to choose which."

Lily scoffed. "I will do no such thing."

"Oh, but you will. You have spent far too long trying to have it all. The lies, the... the violence, all because you wanted the impossible," Julian said. "Well, the truth is, you're either a Salvatore, or you're one of us, but you cannot be both." He put a stake into Lily's hands. "Now choose."

When Lily hesitated, Julian snapped his fingers. "Juliet, love, be a dear and do as you were told."

_Do as I was told_? I thought to myself. _What the hell did he..._

Horrifically, my brain made me reach into my pocket and grab a handle. I then proceeded to pull out a dagger that I had no idea was there. I began slowly trembling as I looked into the reflection of the dagger. Where did the dagger come from?

Damon, Valerie, and Lily both looked on in horror as I held the dagger to my throat, pressing the blade of the knife to my throat. I was shaking, but my grip on the dagger stayed true as I felt tears beginning to emerge and slip down my cheeks.

"Choose!" Julian repeated. "Or the girl dies, and you'll still have to pick which one to kill. But instead of one death being over your head, there will be two."

Lily hesitated again, and after a stern look from Julian, I held the blade closer to my throat. My knuckles were turning white from how hard I was holding the handle of the dagger. A trickle of blood began to drip down my throat, and I gulped. My life was in the balance here, and all I could seem to think was that if Lily didn't pick, I would need to slash the knife against my throat. That was the only thing I could think of.

When Damon saw Lily hesitate, he quickly spoke up. "Lily, pick me!"

"No!" I protested, though the word came out funny with a knife against my throat. "Damon, don't!"

"Kill me, Lily!" Damon said again. "If you let Stefan's wife die, he'll die too."

Lily looked from me to Julian, then began pleading with her eyes. "Don't make me do this, Julian."

Julian clicked his tongue. "Wrong answer." And with a snap of his fingers, my hand jerked, and the knife sliced the skin, slitting my throat open.

"NO!" Damon, Valerie, and Lily all shrieked, and the compulsion that was keeping me from moving wore off, and I slumped to the ground.

The knife was still clutched tightly in my hand as my body hit the ground and as it did, my throat gushed out another fountain of blood. I felt myself gasping for air that was slowly beginning to disappear. I wanted to lift my hands to my throat to try and stop the blood that was flowing out of my throat, but I couldn't bring myself to move at all.

The pain was unbearable, almost to the point where I couldn't feel it anymore. My blood was laid out in front of me as a pool at my chin, and the world began to blur and I began seeing spots of white.

Most people say that your entire life flashes before your eyes when you die. But there was only one single moment in front of my eyes as the life bled out of me.

_ "You're not gonna lose me again," I told him as I reached into my jeans pocket. I grabbed what I was looking for and pulled them out of my pocket. I held my hand out and opened my fist to reveal my engagement ring and wedding band. "No matter what you do, you'll never lose me."_

_ Stefan smiled down at my rings before taking them out of my hand. "You promise?" He asked as he held up them._

_ I smiled back at him. "I promise."_

My eyes fluttered shut as I drew my last breath, regretting that I couldn't say goodbye to my husband. The last thing that I saw was my engagement ring and wedding band on my hand as a single tear slipped down my cheek.

* * *

Damon's heart dropped all the way to his chest when he saw Juliet, the closest thing he'd ever had to a sister, drop to the floor, blood gurgling out of her throat. His entire body was tightened with despair as her hands twitched uncontrollably and then stopped moving altogether. His vampire hearing picked up her slow breaths until they couldn't anymore, and he slumped against his chair as he watched her chest cease to move. She was gone.

Voices echoed around him as he looked all around the room. Valerie had tears streaming down her face as she screamed curses at Julian. Lily appeared to be frozen in place as tears streaked down her own face. "What have you just done?" Lily demanded quietly. She raised her voice as she said, "This isn't you. This is not the man that I fell in love with. You used to be kind, gentle, funny. No, no- you... you're still in shock from the hell that you've been trapped in for so long."

Valerie heaved through her tears enough as she said, "Hell didn't turn him evil, Lily. He was born this way. Isn't that evidenced enough by the fact that he just _killed_ your son's wife right before your eyes?!"

Damon couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't help but just stare at Juliet. His girlfriend's sister, his brother's wife, his own sister-in-law. Just gone, in a single moment. He couldn't face his brother, not after this. Not while knowing that his own death could have saved her.

"Let's get this over with," Damon said as he finally tore his gaze away from her unmoving body. "You chose your Heretics over Stefan and me every chance you had. Why stop now?"

Lily looked back and forth between Valerie and Damon, and then finally took one last look at Juliet's body. The girl who his son had found and loved enough in his hundred and sixty seven years to marry and decide that he wanted to spend the rest of his immortal life or her mortal life with. And blood was still pouring out of her dead body from the wound in her throat.

No more blood would be shed because of Lily.

Lily looked over to Valerie. Valerie, believing that Lily was going to pick her, cried harder. "Lily, please..."

Lily's eyes filled with tears as she smiled weakly at her. "You are such a strong girl. I am so sorry I didn't see it sooner." Lily then turned to Damon and caressed his face as he angrily glared openly at her. "My son... Please forgive me."

Damon growled. "Kill me! Come on! Do it, Lily!"

Lily, overwhelmed, turned to Julian. "You're wrong about so many things. I never had the courage to tell you before... But I do now. You are wrong, Julian. I can choose them both."

Lily gripped the stake in her hands and lifted it into the air before driving it into her own heart.

Valerie cried out in shock and desperately tried to break through the chains. She thrashed and sobbed as she tried to get out of her restraints.

Lily began gasping and choking as Julian frantically rushed over to her as she fell to the floor. He pulled the stake out of her chest as he said, seemingly in devastation, "No! Lily! Lily, Lily." His tone then changed dramatically. "My sweet, foolish girl! I've already unlinked us!"

Lily's eyes widened in horror when realized that she had killed herself for nothing. She gasped and tried to regain control of her breathing.

Julian dropped Lily to the ground when he heard footsteps running to the door. He went over to Juliet's body and picked her up before vamp speeding out of the estate.

* * *

Julian took Juliet's body to the Mystic Grill, where he cleared the vicinity quickly with his compulsion. He laid her still body on to the bar, slit throat and blood stained clothes and all. He levelled her so that she was aligned properly. Her feet were together, her hands were on top of each other on top of her stomach, her hair was sitting against her blood soaked chest. She was a perfect corpse.

He then went on to make himself a drink, standing behind the bar as he prepared the drink. He alternated between pouring himself a scotch and watching Juliet's body. It was still cold and still, but it wouldn't be for long.

As if on cue, Juliet took a deep intake of breath. Her eyes flew open, and then immediately shut again, as if the light was too much for her eyes take. Her eyes were still closed as she lifted them and ran them over her throat, her chest, her arms. She opened her eyes again as she pressed her hands to the bar and pushed herself forward, taking more gasps of air by the lungful. She heaved and shook as she took in the sight of all the blood on her clothes. Then, as if just now sensing Julian's presence beside her, she turned her head sharply to the side, her blood drenched hair hitting her shoulders in matted clumps.

Julian lifted his glass of scotch to her as she stared at him in confusion. "Welcome back to the land of the living." He lifted a shoulder as he gestured to her up and down. "Well, so to speak." He lifted his glass to his lips and downed his entire drink in one go as Juliet's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

* * *

**TBC...**

**DUN...DUN...DUN!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Review Responses...**_

_**grapejuice101: **_Thank you! I missed them too, but they'll be back in the next chapter. And at least you know what happened when she came face to face with Julian!

_**RHatch89:**_ Thank you!

_**HippieLove1312: **_Thank you! I'm proud of Juliet for trying to be strong and dealing with Stefan's ex in a mature way because she is an adult. And honestly, if Elena hadn't dated Matt, I honestly believe that Juliet would have, and if she hadn't had met Stefan, she would have married Matt.

_**LMarie99:**_ Thank you!

_**Prettygirl16: **_We'll have to see!

_**Cushy96: **_Yeah, I love Caroline too! I thought it would be best to keep Caroline pregnant, because her being pregnant will be big with her storyline in ways that I don't know yet and I wouldn't want to accidentally change anything major.

_**adela: **_Thank you! Here's more!

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Cold as Ice...**_

**THE SALVATORES ARE COMING TO TOWN — **With the holidays in full swing, a search for a newly turned Juliet and Julian leads Damon and Stefan to a small town outside of Mystic Falls. Juliet struggles with her transition as a vampire while her torments from Kai take a scary turn. While managing a holiday toy drive at Whitmore College, Bonnie seeks help from Nora and the two strike up an unlikely friendship. Elsewhere, Caroline does her best to navigate her new life as a pregnant vampire, while Alaric grows concerned that the pregnancy is effecting her more than she's letting on. Finally, after finding himself at odds with Damon, Stefan is forced to take matters into his own hands, setting off a tragic chain of events that leaves their lives changed forever.


	54. Cold as Ice

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Sorry that this chapter took so long. I've been writing it in chunks because of writer's block and yeah. But it's here!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

_**Three years from now...**_

* * *

**"**Stefan, you can't go," Valerie insisted as she followed him into the living room of Stefan and Juliet's home. Valerie had booked it right to their home when Stefan had called her and told her that Juliet had been taken.

Stefan threw his bag onto the couch before anxiously peeking out through the closed blinds over the window to make sure the mysterious huntress hadn't followed him. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he turned back to Valerie, who looked at him with worry.

"She has Damon and Jules," Stefan said simply.

Valerie sighed. "I know that, but Juliet would never forgive me if I let something happen to you. She's forgiven me for a lot in the past, but this? She'd never forgive me for. I'm her _best friend_, Stefan, do you really think she'd forgive me for letting her husband go off into war blind?" She growled. "She has Damon and Jules because she wants you."

Stefan tossed several vervain bombs into his bag. "Well, then she's gonna get me. Oh, and I, uh, burned my Porsche, so I kind of need to borrow your car..."

She sighed again. If he insisted on going... "I'm coming with you."

Stefan immediately shook his head. "No, you're not."

"Stefan..." She started.

Stefan shook his head again. "You said it yourself, Valerie. You're one of her best friends. Do you really think she'd forgive _me_ if I let something happen to you?"

Valerie sighed sadly, knowing that Stefan was right and that she had lost the battle. Juliet would have gone ballistic if anything had happened to either one of them. She lifted her chin. "If anything happens to you or her, I will rain hell down on anyone responsible."

Stefan smiled weakly at her before patting her on the shoulder. "I wouldn't expect anything less." With a final goodbye, he grabbed his bag and went out the door, determined to save his wife and his brother.

* * *

_**Present day...**_

* * *

Too many noises. Why was everything so loud? My ears were ringing as they became bombarded with different kinds of noises.

My eyes flew open, but immediately shut again as the harsh light nearly blinded me. So much brightness. Somebody turn down the sun.

When I felt myself returning to consciousness, my lungs felt like they hadn't received oxygen in three weeks. I took a deep intake of breath as I threw myself forward. The ghost of pain went across my throat, so I lifted my hands to my neck. Relieved that my throat felt fine, I looked down at my sticky clothes and was shocked to see that I was covered in blood. I looked around me and realized that I was in the Mystic Grill, laying on top of the bar, somehow. I was just in the Salvatore boarding house, wasn't I?

Also, my throat was burning like someone had stuck an iron down it. I kept my hand on my throat, trying to soothe the fire that was threatening to obliterate me.

The airs on the back of my neck stood up, and I swung my head to the left (my blood soaked hair thumping on my shoulders as I did so) to see _Julian_, holding a glass of scotch with the bottle next to him.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Julian greeted. He lifted a shoulder as he gestured to me up and down. "Well, so to speak." He tilted his glass to me in a toast before downing the drink all at once

I stared at him in shock and confusion. Land of the living? What the hell did he mean? And why was everything still so loud and bright?

"Get the hell away from me," I barely managed as I tried swinging myself off of the bar. I nearly dropped down to the ground as I tried steadying myself on my feet. I took a few staggering steps forward as I lifted my hands to my face, wincing at the pain in my head. "What did you do to me?"

"You're in transition, little one," Julian explained.

"I'm in _what_?" I tried thundering. I tried spinning on my heels to face Julian, but that just resulted in me tripping over my own two feet and slipping down to the cold, unforgiving floor. I groaned in pain as my head came in contact with the floor. I curled in on myself, liking the floor better than standing up. "Trans...transition means..." I whispered.

Julian was suddenly looming over me, and I flinched. "Transition means _vampire_."

My heart began hammering, and I frantically shook my head. "But I can't be transitioning!" I croaked. "I didn't even drink vampire blood!"

"But you did," Julian said as he lifted a finger. "Remember? Now that you're transitioning, the memories that have been compelled away should be returning..."

_I was making my way to the shed where Valerie was going to tell the story of her and Stefan to her Heretic family. I was originally planning on helping Damon with Julian, but Valerie asked me to be there when she told them, and since I was trying to make nice with Valerie, I agreed._

_ I was just about to get to the shed when I suddenly felt my vervain necklace being ripped off, and a hand grabbing my upper arm while another hand clamped over my mouth to cover my muffled screaming. I looked over and realized with horror that it was Julian._

_ "Stop screaming," he compelled, and I was forced to comply. "Now, when I remove my hand, you will not scream, you will not run, you will not move, you will do exactly as I say."_

_ The magic of his compulsion seized my body tightly and I nodded. When Julian removed his hand from my mouth, he smirked. "All right. Now, I have a little plan. It's really a back up plan in case Damon and Stefan try something, since they don't like their new father all that much." Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dagger, holding it up in front of him. "Now, Lily must make a choice-the Salvatores, or her _real_ family. And you're going to help her make that choice. When I snap my fingers the first time, I want you to take this dagger-" he tucked the dagger into my pocket "-and put it to your throat. And if I am forced to snap a second time, then you must cut your own throat with the dagger and die."_

_ Tears of horror had been building up the whole time that Julian was talking. He was compelling me to _kill myself._ I couldn't believe this! Knowing Julian, I really could die. I mean, I'd nearly died plenty of times in the past, but I'd never actually _died_._

_ "Don't be too worried," Julian assured me. He bit into his wrist and slammed the open wound onto my mouth. "Drink," he commanded._

_ Forced by his compulsion, I swallowed mouthfuls of his disgusting, metallic tasting blood. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I did so, and when he removed his wrist, there were little blood spots on my cheeks that he reached over and wiped off with his fingers. "There. I'm not _completely _heartless. And think of it this way, Juliet. If you do die, you'll turn and become a part of this family. Now, forget all this happened and go on your merry way, but remember what I told you to do when I snap my fingers."_

"You compelled me to do this to myself," I whispered in disbelief to myself, lifting my hands slowly to cup my throat. The burning must have been the thirst I was feeling, and I was probably so sensitive to my hearing because of the vampire hearing.

But...but I _couldn't_ be in transition. I wasn't ready to be a vampire! I was planning it all out-kill Julian, graduate college, get a teaching job, have a baby with Stefan (somehow) and _then_ become a vampire. I had done none of those things yet!

"Now, you must complete the transition," Julian said as he went back to the bar. He reached under the bar and pulled out a body. The man looked dead, but he could very well just have been unconscious.

I immediately started pushing myself away from the body, even slumped down on the floor. Now that there was a human body with blood pumping through their veins right under my nose, my headaches were working double time. I could feel the torturous feeling of pain as vampire fangs threatened to protrude through my gums, begging to be sunk into the throat of the innocent life. The skin underneath my eyes began crawling, and I tried shaking away the feeling, knowing that I probably had vampire eyes. "Keep that person away from me!"

"Why?" Julian asked as he dragged the body closer to me. I was no match for Julian, as he was strong and I was a weak vampire in transition trying to drag myself away from human blood. "So you can die a slow, painful death?"

"I'd rather die than take someone else's life," I spat at him.

Julian cocked his head to the side and shrugged. "Then _you _don't have to." With a quick movement of his hands, he grabbed the sides of the man's head and sharply turned his head to the side, snapping his neck and killing him. He dropped the dead body on the floor in front of me, the body hitting the ground with a plopping sound. "There you go. Eat up."

"That's not what I meant!" I hissed, continuing to try and push myself away. I was trying but I was failing. All the blood in my veins were singing at the scent of human blood just ready for the taking.

Julian lifted the man's wrist to his mouth and savagely tore it open and let it flop to the ground in front of me. He wiped the blood from his mouth using the back of his hand and gestured to the wrist.

Now that there was an open wound and blood was flowing freely, I felt a deep hunger in my stomach begin to spread throughout my entire body.

"Do it," Kai's really loud voice said to me. "You _need _to."

I lost all thought and awareness of my surroundings as my hands and knees moved on their own accord, pulling me towards the bleeding wrist. My hands shook as they reached out and grabbed the man's wrist, and I felt my body become racked with sobs as I shakily lifted his wrist to my mouth. I let my face change, allowing my fangs to slip painfully out of my gums, and I sank my teeth into the wrist.

I'd drunk blood before (vampire blood, at least) and it was disgusting and slimy and incredibly thick, but as a vampire drinking human blood, it was delicious, smooth, and went down my throat with ease. The feeling of the blood hitting my stomach made my skin sing as I greedily latched on to the wrist, gulping mouthful after mouthful. Although my entire body began feeling rejuvenated and the disorientating feeling began ebbing away, tears slipped out of my eyes as I drank the blood of another human, sealing my fate. I was a vampire now. There was no going back for me. I was too weak.

"That's my girl," Julian soothed as he smoothed my hair back while I drank hungrily between sobs. "Welcome to the family."

* * *

Caroline Forbes tugged on her elf's hat. She was at Whitmore, organizing the school's Toys for Tots drive. It had been a few weeks since Lily's death and Julian and Juliet's disappearance. Damon and Valerie both said that they watched Juliet die, and that thought alone made Caroline want to stay in bed and never come out. Her best friend was _dead_. This pain was different from when Bonnie died, and even when Elena was cursed by the Sleeping Beauty spell.

Juliet was the one person that Caroline Forbes loved most in the entire world. In the words of Cristina Yang from _Grey's Anatomy,_ Juliet was Caroline's "person" and vice versa. Every time Caroline thought of a terrible pun that she knew only Jules would appreciate and grabbed her phone to text it to her did she realize that Jules wasn't going to text back.

Juliet had had several brushes with death in the past, but that's all they were: brushes. Caroline always just assumed that Juliet was strong enough to make it out every time. But this time, she didn't.

They didn't even have a body to bury. Julian had stolen Juliet's body in order to spite the Salvatores, no doubt tossing her body into a ditch. Instead, they put a headstone next to Lily's grave in honour of Juliet.

Caroline began spiralling downwards, but Ivan insisted that Caroline not act that way since it was reflected in Alaric's twins. Ivan was strangely not reacting to Juliet's death, and it was concerning Caroline to no end. His sister had just died, and he had not shed a tear yet.

And that was the only reason that Caroline was at the toy drive. She knew that Juliet would want her to keep living her life, so that was what she was trying to do. Ivan was going to come pick her up, and then they two of them would meet Alaric at a birthing class. Caroline was very impressed with Ivan's dedication to the babies. It wasn't even really _their_ babies, but Ivan sure treated them like they were theirs. He rubbed Caroline's swollen ankles, he went out and bought her weird craving foods at 3 am, he would put his head to Caroline's stomach and listen to their heartbeats. She was very thankful that she had an understanding boyfriend like Ivan. She just wished Juliet was there too. That would have made everything perfect.

Caroline zoned back into her conversation on the phone with Stefan. She had set a goal at the Toy Drive, hoping that it would help distract her. "Last year, we filled ten crates. This year, I am aiming for twenty."

"You know, compelling people to donate doesn't actually count as donating..." Stefan said.

Stefan. Poor Stefan, who had become a widower following his wife's death. The poor man had been buried in guilt and grief; guilt over the fact that he should have killed Julian sooner, and grief over the fact that his wife was dead. Stefan, however, decided to focus his grief and guilt into his hatred for Julian for taking Juliet from him. He was now more determined than ever to kill Julian, the man who took away not one, but _two_ happy futures away from him.

Caroline rolled her eyes and instead rubbed her belly, which had grown into a small baby bump. "Wait 'til you see me. I popped this week. I have a pot belly."

"Yeah? Put on a Santa hat, you'd fit right in here," Stefan said as he looked around. He was in Sunbury with Damon, tracking down a lead on Julian. All the residents of the town were celebrating the holidays by drinking and visiting the shops.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny."

"Sure you don't need me over there?" He asked, just to be sure. Stefan knew how much Juliet loved Caroline, and while Caroline was Stefan's best friend too, he knew that Juliet would want the two of them looking after each other in the wake of her death.

"To do what? Come to boring birthing classes?" Caroline snorted. "I've got Ivan for that, thank you very much. And besides, you're chasing after an immortal jerk who basically killed your mother and..." Caroline sucked in a deep breath, not wanting to say her name. Saying her name would make it too real, and even though it _was_ real, it would make it worse. Instead, she exhaled and said. "That's much more important. I can handle this."

All of a sudden, Caroline trailed off and became distracted by a young college boy standing nearby. She became transfixed by the sight of his neck, and nearly started to salivate as she watched his carotid artery throb as his blood pumped through his body.

"Of course you can," Stefan continued. After Caroline didn't answer, he became concerned. "Caroline? You still there?"

Caroline snapped back into attention, realizing that she nearly lost control of her blood lust. She felt guilty over that fact and tried to cover it up by returning to her phone call. "Yes. Here. How are you?" Caroline realized what she had asked, and she immediately began shaking her head. "I'm sorry, that's a stupid question."

"No, no," Stefan assured her. "It's...hard. But I'm dealing. I'm just wondering how _she _dealt with it when I had died, and then ditched her right after."

"But she knew that she could bring you back," Caroline countered. "For you... for all of us...she's just gone."

Stefan chuckled a little on the other line, and Caroline's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Why are you laughing?" She asked.

"I just realized that we were both killed by men named Julian," Stefan revealed. "Me, by that Traveler, and Jules by Lily's Julian."

Caroline couldn't help but shake her head at the coincidence. She changed tactics. "Do you need me to send Ivan down to help you?"

"No, that's fine," Stefan answered. "Though I'd be a lot better if my travelling companion would actually stick to task instead of stopping by every single bar we pass by," Stefan responded.

"It's a pub crawl, Stef! That's the whole point. Don't be such a Grinch, or you'll get coal in your stocking," Caroline overheard Damon's complaints. She rolled her eyes in response.

Caroline then lifted a shoulder. "I just find it so weird. For days after Julie died, I cried my brains out, and all Ivan did was hand me tissues. He hasn't shed a single tear over his sister's death yet. I mean, even_ Jules_ had cried when Ivan died, and she'd only known him a day at that point."

"Maybe he's just bottling it all up," Stefan suggested. "That's not good for him. You should talk to him. If there's anyone who can help him at this point, it's you."

Bonnie approached Caroline, who nodded at her only best friend. "And that's my cue. I'll call you later," She said, and the two of them hung up.

"How you holding up?" Bonnie asked Caroline as she stopped in front of her.

"With what? The baby thing or the..." Hesitation. "_Other_ thing?"

Bonnie nodded. "The _other_ thing."

Caroline sighed. "It's just...it's been weeks, and I still can't get over the fact that she's just _gone_. I mean, I remember when you died-"

"Which time?" Bonnie joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

It worked because Caroline's mouth twitched a little in a smile. "The _second_ time, when I was fully aware of the fact that you were dead. I was devastated. I felt like someone had ripped the carpet out from under my feet. But this...I feel like someone ripped my heart out, grabbed the carpet out from under my feet, rolled me up in the carpet like a burrito, and then threw me over the ledge of the grand canyon but throughout the entire thing I wasn't dead; I was still _alive_."

Bonnie sighed. "I know how you feel. First we lose Elena, now Juliet? It's like the universe has a thing against the Gilberts." She toyed with her fingers. "Out of all of us, I always assumed that Juliet would die last. Mainly because she was so insistent on remaining a human, but she was also smart about keeping herself alive. She always kept herself safe."

"Yeah, well," Caroline crossed her arms, fighting the urge to sniffle which would turn into a sob. "No one's safe when it comes to Julian."

* * *

Caroline sat sandwiched between Alaric and Ivan at the pregnancy training class. Caroline had told Ivan that he really didn't have to come, but he had practically insisted on it.

"And what if, no matter how much you plan, your water breaks at home?" The instructor asked the group of pregnant ladies and their husbands.

Caroline raised her hand quickly and when prompted, said, "C.O.A.T. Note the color, odor, amount, and time, keep your birth plan on hand, and call your care provider."

The instructor smiled. "Wow! Someone really dug into that suggested reading list."

Caroline lifted a shoulder. "Well, yeah. I hope everyone did. It's a baby. I mean, each and every one of us are bringing a life into the world. That is a huge responsibility."

"Encouraging words, Caroline, as always. Thank you," The instructor said before she addressed the group. "Okay. Let's pick this back up next time."

Alaric gave Caroline a wary look as everyone stood up and started getting ready to leave. Caroline gave him a look in response. "Don't give me that look."

"What look?" Alaric asked innocently.

"That is a 'Your hormones are making you crazy because you are pregnant'- look, which I will have you know is really just a man's attempt to minimize the gift that our bodies bring into this world," Caroline said.

Alaric gave her a look of exasperation, and in response Caroline turned to Ivan, who lifted a shoulder in a shrug. "It's from A Feminist Guide to Pregnancy, Chapter 3, page 43."

Caroline smiled with pride as she leaned into Ivan's chest. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, she was quickly distracted by a man and a woman's voice by the entrance.

"Isn't he a professor at Whitmore?" the woman asked quietly.

"Yeah, and she's a student," the man responded.

Caroline's face immediately turned into one of anger, and Ivan frowned. "Is everything okay?"

She tried snapping herself out of the hurt. "Yeah. It's just my vamp-hearing is working a little too well lately."

This time, the woman talked loudly enough so that Alaric and Ivan could hear as well. "What do you want to bet she's doing really well in his class?"

"And what about the other guy with her?" the man asked. "Is he the cover up father?"

Ivan tried ignoring the man's words as he focused on Caroline, who was now downright furious. "Care, don't let them get to you."

"No. It's okay," Caroline tried assuring them. "They're just having a difficult time with the subtle realities of the 21st century, where families come in all shapes and sizes."

All of a sudden, Caroline's vampire face and fangs came out, but she didn't notice it as she started walking towards the couple. "I think I should explain it to them..."

Alaric and Ivan shared looks of panic as they both went after Caroline. "Caroline!" Both men said.

"...That I have a boyfriend, and while you may not be the father..." She went on, spinning around to point at Ivan, then turning back to lunge at them.

Ivan came in front of Caroline so that he was blocking her. "Caroline, Caroline, Caroline, Caroline! Your eyes! Your eyes!" He pointed at his own eyes in emphasis.

Caroline, horrified, realizes that she was vamped-out and immediately stopped herself, causing her human face to return. Mortified, Caroline tried her best to downplay the situation. "It's just the... hormones," She assured them as she pushed past Ivan and out the door.

Alaric and Ivan again shared worried looks as they followed Caroline out the door.

* * *

No matter how much I wanted to tear Julian limb from limb, I couldn't. Something inside of me just wouldn't _let_ me. That, and Kai had insisted on me not hurting him, and for some stupid reason I listened.

For the past couple of weeks, Julian had gone around and wrecked havoc on innocent humans, and though I tried to restrain myself, sometimes I joined in. I hadn't exactly been taught control, and as a newbie vamp, it was hard.

It also seemed like I had retained some ability to use magic, like the Heretics. I had no idea if this made me a Heretic, but whatever I was was worrying. Julian even used this to his advantage, having me cloak us sometimes to keep people from following us and although I didn't want to, I always did.

I couldn't even get to a phone to try and call someone because a) Julian never let me out of his sight and b) he told me not to, and frustratingly I felt obliged to comply.

Julian's most recent stop on his reign of terror had been on a group of people dressed up as Santas which he had left in a bar in Sunbury, the most recent place that we were trying to take refuge in.

With my new vampire hearing, I could hear Stefan and Damon's voices from inside the bar and felt myself become filled with glee. Julian had gone inside to confront he boys and had instructed me and the other group of vampires he had recently turned to stay outside until he instructed us to come inside.

"Well, it was. But, uh, now... These have been dark days for me," I heard Julian say, and that was our signal to start pouring into the room from various entrances. I came in from the back door, and I felt myself become filled with happiness at the sight of my husband, whose eyes had grown to twice their side as he saw me walk in and stand next to Julian.

"_Juliet_?" He said and made the mistake of stepping forward to try and get to me.

I felt Kai's presence next to me as I lifted my hand and used magic to keep him from getting closer to us. I felt horrible, but Julian had told me to do it and I couldn't say no.

Julian stared smugly at the two brothers who both looked like someone had just stabbed them with the sword that Julian was holding in his hand. "Then, I remember what my old life looked like," Julian went on. "And, I... I realized... I mean, it was a good life. I was surrounded by the people that I cared about- my friends. Two, two. Heh, heh, heh. Raphael, here, I met in Florence in the 1600s."

He wrapped his arm around Raphael's shoulders. "He was a painter- terrible painter, though- but a painter."

Julian clappd Raphael on the shoulder as the vampire nodded in agreement with Julian's assessment of his artistic talents. Julian then walked over to a woman on his right and squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "Oh, Dirty Robin, I found in a convent in Massachusetts in, uh, 1802, was it? Hmmm. She loved those nuns."

Julian then pointed toward the two men standing behind Stefan and Damon, who politely turned to see who they were dealing with. "Seth over there, I rescued you from a claim-jumper in California during the Gold Rush, and Xi Nguyen, I met you last week, actually, in Portland."

Julian patted me on the back. "And you both know Juliet. I had her kill herself some weeks ago only to bring her back as a vampire. See, I'm not completely evil." He smirked. "Now, I know you two have been following me for quite some time, right? I hope it wasn't for nefarious reasons."

Stefan smiled coldly. "Well, that depends. Is killing you nefarious?"

Damon started panicking a little ."All right, guys. Listen... I'm sure we all miss Lily. Well, most of you. You guys in particular. But I'm sure, wherever she is, she's looking up and thinking, 'I wish those boys wouldn't fight...'"

"I'm not going anywhere," Stefan said firmly.

Julian smiled. "Good."

Damon sighed. "Fine. Plan B- booze-soaked flammable costumes."

Damon threw a lit lighter at Julian and the other vampires (including me) and it immediately set the bodies of the dead Santas ablaze, revealing that Damon and Stefan had soaked them in alcohol before we came.

I lifted my arms to cover myself from the flames, and I felt a hand on my lower arm and I was suddenly vamp sped out of the bar.

* * *

Ivan cradled a blood bag for Caroline in one hand while holding a beer for himself in his other hand. The two of them and Alaric were back at Alaric's apartment where they could rest a bit and hang out.

Caroline sighed furiously. "Ohhh, I was two seconds away from tearing their heads off!"

Ivan handed her the blood bag with a smile as he said, "Well they were awful people. They would have deserved it."

Caroline pressed a kiss to Ivan's lips as she took the blood bag from his hands. She ripped the top of the blood bag off and took a huge gulp of it, moaning in relief. The blood thing used to freak Ivan out, but he got over it pretty fast. "Oh, I've needed this all day!"

"Yeah, you and me both," Alaric said as he came in and crashed down on the couch, a beer in his own hands. Ivan settled down next to him.

Caroline was gulping the blood down greedily, but her eyes widened quickly and she pulled the bag away from her lips. "Do you think this is okay for the babies?" She asked the two of them.

Alaric and Ivan shared looks of exasperation. "Caroline..." Alaric started.

"I'm serious! What if blood is like alcohol? What if it's bad for them?" Caroline said worriedly as she dropped the blood bag onto the coffee table.

Ivan stood up and walked over to her. "Caroline, if it's good for you, how is it bad for them?"

"I don't know, but you don't know either, because there's no studies on this!" Caroline panicked. She gestured at Alaric. "There's no books, there's..."

Alaric stood up as well and walked over ot Caroline, trying to help Ivan comfort her, but she was only becoming more agitated. "Look, Caroline, you're doing a great job."

Caroline groaned as she turned her back to the boys, trying her best to keep from losing control. "Would you stop saying that?"

"But you are!" Alaric insisted. "I mean, do you realize how happy you've made me? I mean, this is a miracle. You've turned my life around-"

Just then, Caroline finally snapped and vamped out before turning around to face Alaric. "I said, stop!" She vamp-sped toward him and shoved him against the wall in a choke-hold.

"Caroline!" Ivan spoke out, grabbing Caroline by the shoulders and pulling her away from Alaric. She instantly came back to herself and was horrified to realize what she had done.

"Are you okay?" Ivan asked as he cupped her cheeks. "Are you okay?"

Caroline shook her head in disbelief for a second until she finally spoke, "I... have to go." And with that, she vamp sped out of the room before Ivan or Alaric could stop her.

* * *

I felt myself stop outside in an alley on the Sunbury streets, and once we had stopped, Stefan clutched me to his chest and I hugged him back as tightly as possible. "You're alive!" He sobbed into my shoulder. "I can't believe you're alive! We all thought you were dead!"

"I thought I was dead too!" I cried. I pulled away as I held on tightly to his shirt. "Julian made me do awful things and he was the one that turned me into a vampire. He compelled me to drink his blood and then forget that I did it only to have me kill myself later and turn."

"But you were using magic," He said. "How were you using magic if you're a vampire? Does that make you a Heretic?"

"I don't know," I told him. "All I know is that I knew you would find me."

He pulled me back into his chest and hugged me tightly. "Thank God," He muttered into my hair as I clutched at him.

We pulled away as Damon came up to us. "I can't believe it," He said as he pulled me into a hug, and I gratefully hugged him back.

"Trust me, we can't either," I told him as I pulled away.

Stefan nodded. "Okay, now that we've got Jules back, we re-load, we figure out a way to separate him from his friends..."

"We do no such thing!" Damon countered. "We get in the car, and we go home with your wife who isn't so dead after all."

"What? What are you talking about? He's building a small army back there. He's obviously up to something," Stefan countered.

Damon scoffed. "He's getting wasted with his friends! You're delusional. Trust me. That? That is a hornets' nest, and take it from an expert- you do not want to kick it."

"You of all people should not be the one to give up! You're the reason he's alive and she isn't," Stefan argued.

"What kind of backwards-ass logic is that?" Damon asked.

I wanted to say something, but the brothers didn't exactly give me the opportunity to cut in.

"Because we would have killed Julian the minute he showed up into our lives, but no. You wanted to punish Lily with a long-con, didn't you?" Stefan said.

Damon rolled his eyes. "She punished herself with a short stake."

"Huh. You know, for weeks, I've been watching you. I've been trying to catch even the slightest bit of regret on your face," Stefan began.

"Regret for what, Stefan?" Damon asked in an exasperated tone.

"She was dying, Damon! How difficult would it have been to say something nice?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I didn't want to lie to the woman," Damon answered.

"All she wanted was forgiveness, and you practically spat in her face!" Stefan exclaimed.

"She didn't deserve my forgiveness," Damon responded.

"What, because she made some mistakes? Or is it because she didn't choose poor you over Valerie?" Stefan mocked.

Damon smiled coldly. "Giving her a hall pass, like always. Her little angel."

"You acted like a spoiled little brat," Stefan retorted. "A coward. You had a chance to make things right, and you still do."

I finally cut in, stepping in between the brothers. "Alright, enough!" I pointed at Stefan. "Stefan, low blow." I spun around and pointed at Damon. "Damon, chill out."

"Forget him, Jules, we don't need him," Stefan insisted as he grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

He had just started to drag me off, but I stuck my heels in the dirt. "Wait, when did I agree to this?"

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

I growled. "I mean I just spent the last few weeks with that horrible tyrant who, by the way, _killed _me! And no matter how much I want to kill him or hurt him I can't. It's like I'm sired to him-not in the romantic way-but the way that Tyler was sired Klaus. I do everything that Julian tells me to do and there is no way in _hell_ that I'm voluntarily going back to him."

"But Jules-" Stefan started.

"But nothing!" I cut him off. "You are talking about taking me back to a man who turned me into a _vampire_! Who took away the only thing in life that I had ever wanted-babies!" My stupid hormones and feelings were all over the place because of my transition, and I started crying. "I just want to go home. See my brother, see Caroline, see Bonnie, tell them that I'm alive and not dead!"

"I can take you home," Damon said, and I looked over my shoulder to see him holding out his hand to me. "If you want to go home, I'll take you."

I looked between Stefan and Damon, and Stefan still looked determined to go after Julian. I didn't want to go anywhere _near_ Julian. I'd rather die (again) first. And though it killed me to choose Damon over Stefan, I put my hand in Damon's as I told Stefan, "When you're ready to come home, please do so."

Damon nodded his head at Stefan. "Road trip's over, brother. You want to go back and risk it? Go for it. We're going home." With that, Damon tugged on my hand, and I finally tore my gaze away from a disappointed Stefan and followed him.

* * *

Later on in the car, my gaze remained on the window, twisting my wedding rings around on my finger as Damon drove towards home. I just wanted to be home, and I couldn't wait to see the look on Ivan and Caroline and Bonnie's faces when I told them I wasn't dead. After being together for so long, it felt weird to be apart from them. Plus, Christmas was coming up, and I wasn't about to miss Christmas with them when I had never missed one in the past.

I heard Damon sigh. "I'm sorry," He finally said.

That caused me to look over at him in confusion. "Why?" I asked.

Damon's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I knew what Julian was capable of. I shouldn't've let you be in the room that night. I should've had Lily kill me first before she had the chance to hesitate and have you killed."

I smiled at my brother-in-law. "Don't blame yourself. Julian is just a monster and no matter how much I want him dead, I can't kill him. And I think that's the cruellest torture of all."

Damon couldn't help but chuckle. "When did you get so morbid?"

I managed to crack a smile. "Right after I slit my own throat open." I shook my head. "Besides, you're the one who agreed to take me home, not Stefan. So in a weird way, you're the one respecting my decision."

"I don't blame you for wanting to be away from that son of a bitch," Damon answered.

"I just can't believe Stefan won't see it my way," I told him. "I know that he wants Julian dead because of what happened to their baby, and I know this sounds selfish, but I have just been turned into a vampire, the one thing that I never wanted to be, at least so soon. His concern should be _me_, right now." I sighed as I lifted my hands to my forehead. "And that just sounded so unbelievably selfish. God, I'm an awful person."

"You are not," Damon tried assuring me. "You're a wonderful person who just had something awful happen to her. You're right, as your husband, Stefan should be comforting you, and he failed to do that."

I sighed again as I dropped my hands. "When he comes back to Mystic Falls, I'll apologize."

"You might not be there to do it," I heard from the back seat, and I looked behind me to see Kai sitting there.

"What is it?" Damon asked as he quickly glanced to the back before looking back to the road.

"What do you mean?" I asked Kai out loud, not noticing that I had done so.

"Jules, what's going on?" Damon demanded.

Kai shrugged a little. "This." He reached out and grabbed my arm, and at the contact, I began feeling that same burning sensation as I had the last time Kai had touched me at Wickery Bridge. I began screaming, and my screams and pain drowned out Damon's cries of my name. I lost my vision a lot faster this time than I had the last time, and I shut my eyes tightly trying to fight it off. When I opened them again, there was nothing but darkness. I closed them again, and this time when I tried to open them, I found that I couldn't. The pull of unconsciousness became too great and I passed out.

* * *

When Kai opened his eyes, he looked down to see that instead of seeing his own hands, he saw feminine ones, and an engagement ring and wedding band sat on his ring finger of his left hand. The nails were painted a dark pink, but they were chipped here or there and there were dried flecks of blood underneath the fingernails. He balled his hands into fists then flexed his fingers again.

"Jules!" He heard, and he looked over to see Damon Salvatore beside him, having pulled the car over and going over to his side of the car, opening the door and cradling Kai's face in his hands. Or rather, Juliet's face. "What's wrong? Why were you screaming? Are you okay?"

"I'm...fine," Kai tested out his voice. He was worried that it would sound like his own, but it still sounded like Juliet's. Good. Nothing to tip Damon off. "I had just the worst headache all of a sudden. Probably...a side effect? Of the vampirism?" He offered, hoping that Damon would buy it.

Damon turned out to be even stupider than Kai thought, because he really _did_ buy it. "If you're sure..." Damon hesitated.

Kai quickly nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Damon slowly let go of his face as he got out of Kai's side of the car and back into the driver's seat. Kai straightened up in his own seat, smoothing his hands over Juliet's jeans, relishing in the feeling of being able to physically touch things on his own.

However, he began feeling a pulsing headache at the back of his mind, and he knew it was Juliet trying to unconsciously fight her way back in control of her own body. Kai immediately began fighting back against the headache, squeezing his eyes shut firmly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Damon asked one final time as he got back on the road.

Kai's eyes snapped open as he swung his head to look at Damon. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just...I want to see Caroline," Kai said as he looked back to the front, staring at the windshield. "I want to see Caroline and see how the babies are."

Damon rolled his eyes. "I still can't believe those babies are still alive."

Kai could feel rage building up inside of him. "Trust me, neither can I."

* * *

Caroline carried two bouquets of flowers as she approached the Mystic Falls cemetery. In one hand held sunflowers, in the other, orchids. She had two stops to make.

She came to a stop in front of the Salvatore section of the cemetery. Stefan and Damon's names were there, along with their father's, because back in 1864 everyone had assumed that they all had died. Lily's name was now there as well, and beside it was a headstone that read: "Here lies Juliet Jordan Gilbert-Salvatore. Gone, but never forgotten".

A generic saying, but Juliet would have thought it was funny. They also included Juliet's last name before she had married because they knew it would have been important to her.

Caroline laid down the orchids on the snow covered ground. She sat down on the little bench that was beside it as she huffed. "Hey, Jules. I wish I could just pick up my phone and call you and tell you all this stuff, but because I clearly can't, I have to settle for this." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you died in pain and by yourself and I'm sorry that we don't even have a body to properly bury." She looked down at her hands. "I wish you were here for this whole weird pregnancy thing. You would have known exactly what to do, with how baby crazy you were. I can't believe I'm not going to get to see you have babies of your own. I promise, that if I get to name one of these babies and if one of them is a girl, her name will be Juliet. And if I don't, I'll fight for the baby to have the middle name Juliet. And you'll still be the godmother, though it'll probably have to be honorary and only if Alaric is cool with it, but I don't see him objecting to it."

"Ivan hasn't reacted to your death at all. It's like all he can think about are the babies. I want to talk to him about it, but I don't even like talking with Bonnie about you being gone. It's different than Elena being gone, or even Bonnie dying. In both cases, I knew I'd see them again. In yours...you were just a human. There was no way you could have survived the thing that took you down."

She started sniffling and shivered. If she wanted to visit her mother's grave too, she had to wrap it up. "Again, I'm sorry that I wasn't there to save you. I'm sorry that I didn't do the one thing that I was supposed to as your person. I didn't protect you. I didn't take care of you. And I'll never forgive myself for it."

Caroline reached down and tinkered with the locket bracelet that Juliet had gotten her for Christmas the year before. She opened the locket that had a picture of the two of them and ran her finger over the picture. The two of them as freshman, not knowing the horrible events that were awaiting them in high school. Neither one of them could have forseen dying at such a young age, but in Caroline's case, she was still alive, albeit undead. Juliet was dead permanently. The smile in the photo made Caroline's eyes well up-Juliet was ready to take on whatever a mundane life was going to throw at her. Unfortunately, her life wasn't like that.

She closed the locket and stood up, wiping at her tears. "Merry Christmas, Jules," She whispered as she turned away, covering her mouth to contain her sobs as she made her way to her mother's grave. Once she got there, she laid the flowers she had bought for her mother down.

Caroline sat down in front of the grave. "Hi, Mom," She started. "I just realized that this is going to be my first Christmas without you. That sucks. I still got you something. Two somethings actually. I will spare you the details of how, because honestly? I am sick of talking about it. But it's happening." Caroline drew a deep breath. "I'm pregnant. I used to picture us having this conversation. It looked different, obviously. I was a human carrying my own children, and you... were... you were alive. I know they're not mine... But they're still my responsibility, you know? And I want to... I have to do this right. And I have no idea what I'm doing. And all I want to do is just sit on our kitchen counter while you burn our dinner and ask you a million questions."

Caroline's eyes became filled with tears again as she paused for a moment, before sighing loudly. "God, I miss you."

"You're not the only one," She heard, and she looked behind her to see Ivan walking towards her, flowers in his hands. He laid them down next to the one's Caroline had brought and sat down next to Caroline.

"How did you know where to find me?" She asked.

"This is your first Christmas without your mother," Ivan commented as he put one arm around Caroline, tugging her close to him. "Where else were you going to be?"

Caroline smiled as she buried her face into his shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

He nodded. "Shoot."

"Why are you so concerned about these babies?" She asked as she lifted her head. "They're not yours-they're not even mine, technically. Why do you care so much? I mean, you could have just walked away the moment you found out about them, but you didn't. You let yourself feel awkward and weird around Alaric because of the babies. Why do you care?"

Ivan took a deep breath in but didn't say anything. After a couple minutes of silence, he said, "My sister's dead."

"Ivan," Caroline started, her voice a gentle whisper.

"My sister is dead," He went on, ignoring Caroline. "And I can't find the will to live anymore. I don't want to get up to go to school. I don't want to go to work. I don't want to walk around being Ivan, the boy who _was _a twin brother until he lost his twin sister. I don't see why I'm still alive and she's not. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Juliet. I know Bonnie was the one who brought me back, but Bonnie wouldn't have brought me back if it weren't for me being Juliet's brother. And I couldn't cry over her being dead because the moment I cried would be the moment it was all real for me." The whole time he was staring at Liz's grave, but then he looked over at Caroline. "Caroline, you are the _only_ family I have anymore. And when I decided I was going to love you, I decided I'd love every part of you. And those babies are a part of you, and I'm going to love them just as much as I love you. You're all..." Ivan sniffled, feeling the overwhelming urge to cry wash over him, and Caroline's heart ached as she saw tears brimming his eyes and slipping down his cheeks. "You're all I have and..." He cut himself off, burying his face in his hands as he finally let himself cry and mourn his sister's death.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and held him to her, feeling her entire body shaking with his sobs. She joined in with him as she began crying, putting her head on his shoulder as the two of them wept in their grief.

* * *

Kai opened the passenger side door when the car came to a stop in front of the Salvatore boarding house. He got out of the car, Juliet's boots loudly hitting the ground as he stood up. "Where's Caroline?" He asked as he looked over at Damon, who was getting out of his side of the car.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" He responded. "It's Christmas and her mother's dead. Maybe she's visiting her."

_Of course_, Kai thought to himself as he walked behind Damon and into the boarding house. There was just one thing he needed to grab before he went and saw Caroline.

* * *

Now that Juliet was a vampire, her vampire hearing was a great help to Kai as he stomped through the cemetery. All he had to do was listen for the sounds of people crying and he would find Caroline.

It didn't take too long, either. He heard a man and a woman crying, and when he vamp sped towards the sound of the crying, he saw a brown haired man and a blonde woman, the two of them holding each other as they cried in front of a grave. Kai rolled his eyes at the pathetic sight.

He rolled his shoulders back as he reached into Juliet's jacket pocket and pulled out a hunting knife soaked in vervain. Thanks to supernatural creatures crawling about Mystic Falls so frequently in the past, the Salvatores had kept their armoury up to date with weapons that impressed even Kai.

The knife gleamed in the moonlight as he took very small, quiet steps towards Caroline, who still had her back to Kai. Kai began feeling the familiar headache of Juliet trying to win her body back, and he began shooting her down as well as he could as crept.

Those stupid _babies_. They should have stayed dead the _first time_. Like jeez, how many kids was Kai supposed to kill until he was the sole leader of the Gemini coven?

The headache began building even more, and he stopped as he lifted one hand to his head, massaging the skull. He began walking away and was now behind Caroline. He brought the knife back as far as possible as he prepared to drive the blade through Caroline's back and through to her uterus.

Just as he moved to drive the blade forward, the headache blinded him, and everything he saw was black as he stumbled and crashed down on to the ground.

* * *

When I came to, my face was wet and my head was cold. There were hands on my face, and when I opened my eyes, I looked up to see Caroline and Ivan standing above me, the both of them with tears streaming down their faces. They broke out into huge smiles when they saw my eyes open, and they both lifted me up gently as they hugged me to them tightly. Their constant flow of questions was too much for me to comprehend at the moment, so I just sat there and let them hug me.

What the hell happened? The last thing that I remembered was blacking out in Damon's car while it was still daylight, and now I was in the middle of Mystic Falls cemetery at night.

My mind finally cleared enough for me to explain to Caroline and Ivan that Julian had turned me into a vampire. That made the two of them vomit out sympathies for me before hugging me to them again. I let them, but my eyes caught the shine of a hunting knife about one foot away from where I was laying down.

What the hell was going on?

* * *

Caroline and Ivan both wanted to follow me to the boarding house, but I convinced the two of them to go home and get some rest. With Caroline being pregnant and all, I didn't want to hurt her or distress her and the babies.

I saw Stefan's car in the driveway, and I steeled myself for my apology. I opened the door and walked in, speaking as I followed his scent (ew) to the parlor. "Listen, I'm sorry that I went with Damon today, but you have to understand, the last few weeks have been-"

I cut myself off when I got into the parlor and saw a distraught Stefan kneeling over Damon's motionless body, gaping in horror.

I felt my stomach fall to my feet as I breathed, "Damon, oh my God," and I ran over to where he was. I dropped down to the ground and put my hands on his face, though he didn't respond. He was _dead_. "What happened? What happened?" I asked frantically as I looked up.

"You two were right," Stefan said numbly. "You two wanted me to let it go. I should have let it go. I couldn't..."

I felt rage built up in me. "_Julian_," I hissed. "I should have guessed." I looked back down at Damon's face, and a tear slipped down my nose and on to his cheek. "I promised Elena I'd look out for him," I whispered. "I promised her."

"The Phoenix sword," Stefan said. "He was stabbed using the Phoenix sword."

I felt a smaller glimmer of hope. "Okay, so that means that we can bring him back. His soul's still alive, if we can just lead his soul into his body he'll come back." I reached into my jacket and pulled out my cell phone. "I'm calling Bonnie."

Several attempts later, I growled as I lowered my phone. "She's not picking up. I'm gonna call Valerie," I told him as I opened my contact list.

Stefan still hadn't said anything, so I looked up and over at him. "Stefan?" I tried.

"He's not gonna make it in there," Stefan shook his head.

I sighed. "Stefan, think of all the horrible things that have happened to us in the past couple of years. If he can make it through all of that, he can make it through this."

"That stone is punishment for every bad thing you've ever done. This is Damon. I don't even want to know what he's going through," Stefan said.

"Stefan, this is _Damon_ we're talking about," I insisted. "He can make it. He can survive this. And if anything, he has us to help him."

Just then, I heard a weird noise behind me, and I spun around to see Nora, who must have been cloaked for God knows how long. She held the Phoenix sword in her hands and was staring at Stefan. "Even if he can, he'll be different... Just like you," She said.

Before Stefan and I could say or do anything, she vamp sped forward towards Stefan and stabbed him in the heart with the sword, and I screamed his name. "STEFAN!"

He grabbed the hilt of the sword and fell backward against the nearby armchair. I pushed Nora out of the way as I vamp sped towards Stefan. I put one hand on top of his on the hilt of the sword as I used my other hand to cradle his neck and make him face me. "Stefan," I whispered as I watched the life drain out of his eyes, and I looked down at the Phoenix stone as it glowed, showing that his soul was no longer in his body, but in the stone.

And now he was going to go through his own personal hell, and I couldn't help him.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Holy shit long chapter!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

_**Review Responses...**_

_**RHatch89: **_Thank you!

_**grapejuice101: **_I KNOW! After two and a half seasons of writing. Here's an update!

_**GoingClassic:**_ Thank you! Here's the next chapter!

_**lijahsgirl: **_Ooh yeah, sorry about that. I think I've always known that the one thing Juliet would want was children but she'd never have them herself. I don't think I ever planned on her actually having children, too, at least not herself. Everyone in TVD had something precious ripped from them (Elena's humanity, Damon's love for Katherine, Stefan's love for Elena, Caroline's mother, Tyler's hybrid status allowing him to control his werewolf changes) and that Juliet needed something precious ripped from her too, and nothing was more precious to her than the ability to have children. It was the only reason she was still a human at that point.

_**WickedlyMinx:**_ She's definitely not human anymore (she never was, she was always a witch but it never showed until the Traveler storyline). It's hard to describe what's up with Juliet without giving away too many details because there are still some that are being kept tightly under wraps, but what happened with Kai in this chapter is definitely a clue as to what's going on. And here's more!

_**Guest 1: **_That's fine if you don't like the direction that it's going in, and I completely understand if you choose not to read anymore. But in my mind, she's been a human for a very long time now (keep in mind that I've only written two and a half seasons but Juliet still has seasons 1-4 events in her life as a human) and I wanted her to be changed into a vampire before the flashforwards, and I felt like this was an appropriate time to do so. Again, completely understand if you choose to stop reading.

_**LMarie99:**_ I KNOW POOR JULES I'M LITERALLY SO AWFUL SOMEONE TAKE THESE CHARACTERS AWAY FROM ME I AM UNDESERVING.

_**adela: **_Thank you!

_**Guest 2: **_I know right?

_**bboopd16:**_ Thank you! This chapter was nice and long, too! Hope you enjoyed it!

_**Kris**_**:** Thanks! Here's an update!

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Hell Is Other People...**_

**DAMON'S PERSONAL HELL-** After finding himself on the wrong end of Julian's plan to avenge Lily's death, Damon awakens to find himself trapped inside the Phoenix stone, tormented by a traumatic experience from his time in the Civil War and forced to face his darkest demon in order to get out. On the outside, Bonnie is in a race against the clock to get Damon out before the effects of the Phoenix stone take over and leave him changed forever.


	55. Hell Is Other People

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **This is literally the shortest chapter ever because the entire thing is Damon's personal hell and I'm not gonna lie I don't want to rewrite the whole thing so I promise that the next chapter will be longer!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

We were all gathered around Damon's body in the Salvatore boarding house, waiting for him to wake up. Bonnie had done the spell thousands of times, but he just wasn't waking up. She was still chanting the spell to reunite his soul with his body as I nervously chewed on my fingernails.

"_Ababbas dagoineh mateesah elunatan. Damon melunaweh washaset. Ababbas dagoineh mateesah elunatan. Damon melunaweh washaset..._" She chanted.

I leaned my head on a (thankfully) newly resurrected Stefan's shoulder as I looked over at Caroline, Matt and Ivan, who all looked distressed over the fact that Damon still hadn't woken up yet.

Bonnie finally growled in frustration. "The spell's not working."

That caused Stefan to sigh in frustration as well, rubbing his eyebrows with his hand. I put my hand on his back and rubbed soft circles on it soothingly.

"I don't understand. It's like the stone is hiding his spirit," Bonnie went on.

"Then maybe you should take a break, all right? You've been trying all day," Matt offered.

"Matt's right," Ivan added. "You're gonna drain yourself to exhaustion and then you'll be no help to anyone." We all turned to look at the kinda insensitive way he had phrased that sentence. "I didn't mean that in a bad way."

"We know you didn't," Caroline assured him, moving one hand from her big pregnant belly to pat him comfortingly on the knee.

"She can't," Stefan insisted urgently. "The longer he stays in there, the more damaged he'll be when he gets out."

Bonnie gave Stefan an annoyed look and scoffed. "And who's fault is that? You, of all people, don't get to lecture me."

That was when I cut in. "All right, that's enough, you guys. We're all just a little freaked out and stressed, so let's just take a deep breath and a small break and let Bonnie try again when she's up for it."

"I don't get it," Matt shook his head in frustration. "We pulled Stefan out no problem. What's different now?"

Stefan got that haunting, brooding look in his eye as he answered, "Because he's not ready yet. When I was in there, I could barely remember who I was, and then I was hit with visions and tests. But the worst part of hell isn't what you're going through- it's the sliver of hope that you can actually get out on your own."

"How come we had no trouble reuniting your soul with your body?" Caroline asked.

"Because eventually, I submitted to the kind of suffering that just breaks you. Knowing Damon, he'll do anything he can to avoid that kind of pain, which means we may never be able to get him out," Stefan answered, giving the rest of us a grim look, and we all looked back to Damon in worry.

* * *

We finally convinced Bonnie to take a break, and Caroline and Ivan were making her something to eat. Matt was in the kitchen with them, and Stefan needed a blood bag break, so it was just me and Damon in the living room for a while.

I sat down next to him and took his hand in my own. He looked so dead; still, cold, pale. I couldn't look at this man and see Damon Salvatore.

"Hey," I whispered as I lifted his hand and put it to my lips. "It's me. Obviously, though, you can't hear me. It's just...we're all kinda just sitting around you...waiting. I know what you're going through can't be easy-living as a vampire for over a hundred years _will _give you demons. That's actually one of the things that I'm looking forward too, mainly so that I can drink glasses and glasses of bourbon and stare broodingly into the fire and look cool like you and Stefan do." I wiped a small tear that escaped me. "So listen...I actually made a promise to my sister that I'd look after you. She knew that you'd completely fall apart without her, and she made the stupid decision of leaving it up to me to make sure that you were safe and okay. And I can't do that if you're trapped in the Phoenix Stone. So do me a favour and save me from Elena's bitching in sixty years and wake up, okay? You owe me one. I don't know exactly why you owe me one, but you do. So just...wake up."

* * *

With that, everyone had come back into the room, and I moved from Damon's side back to Stefan's so that Bonnie could continue the spell. She did so for another hour or so, tightly holding his hand, when he finally gasped awake. The Phoenix Stone glowed a little when he opened his eyes. "No. No. No," were the first words out of his mouth.

Stefan got to his feet and rushed over to his brother, who was starting to sit up. I followed closely on his heels.

"No, we weren't done! I gotta get her back. I gotta get her back!" Damon began shouting but none of us knew what he meant.

"Hey, its me. It's me! You're safe. It's okay. It's okay," Stefan said as he held out his hands in front of Damon, trying to calm him down, but Stefan was obviously worried.

"No. No! One more time. One more time!" Damon said frantically.

Caroline and Ivan had gone over to Bonnie's side, because she had been extremely weakened by the spell and could barely stand by herself. The two of them each held one arm of Bonnie's to help keep her standing up.

"Send me back. I know what to do now," Damon insisted.

"Damon, it's not real-" Stefan started, but his brother cut him off.

"I know it's not real. None of this is real!" Damon thundered.

To everyone's surprise, Damon reached over and grabbed Stefan by the arm. He twisted it, snapping the bone in half. As Stefan screamed, Damon leaned over and broke Stefan's neck, letting his now dead body drop down to the ground.

Matt and Ivan got to their feet as I dropped down to Stefan's side. I checked his neck just to make sure that it was broken, and it was. Caroline rushed over to Damon and held her hands out. "Damon, don't-" She started.

But Damon smashed a chair, and, using the broken chair leg as a stake, rammed it right through Caroline's chest, causing her to gasp loudly in pain. She fell backwards into Bonnie's arms as Ivan charged Damon. "Damon!" He shouted.

Damon turned around and grabbed my brother by the throat and squeezed tightly. Ivan began gasping for air as Damon crushed his windpipe into dust and finally let him drop down to the ground. Ivan landed with a hard thud on the ground next to Stefan.

Matt then went after Damon, but Damon backhanded Matt so hard that his neck snapped, and he fell to the ground.

"MATTY!" I screamed as I grabbed his body before it could hit the ground. I gently laid him down on the floor and moved to brush his hair from his face so that I could properly assess him, but I felt a hand on my upper arm, and I looked over my shoulder to see Damon pulling me away from Matt.

He tugged so hard on my arm that my shoulder popped right out, and I screamed in pain. He moved his hand from my arm to my throat and lifted me up and off the ground as he squeezed my throat. Damon then took that opportunity to shove his free hand into my stomach, and I screamed at the top of my lungs as he brought his hand back out, but with my lower intestines in his tight grip. He squeezed them until they burst, my blood splattering all over him and all over the floor, furniture, and the walls. All the blood in my stomach rushed into my throat and dribbled past my lips. The pain was so bad that it was pretty much numbing, and my head lolled backwards as I lost the strength to keep myself upright. He let go of my throat, and I fell to the ground, landing hard on my back. The impact caused the wound in my stomach to widen, blooding gushing out of the wound like a geyser on impact.

Out of my shaky vision, I saw Damon grab a fireplace poker and vamp-speed over to Bonnie. He pinned her to the wall using the poker to press against her throat, choking her. Bonnie desperately gasped for breath as she tried to reason with him. "Oh! UGH! Damon- Ahhh!"

"I have to get back to her," Damon said frantically.

Damon finally managed to crush Bonnie's airways, and she slid down to the ground leaving a blood stain on the wall behind as she dropped. Damon dropped the poker on to the ground and looked around expectantly.

"Why am I still here? It wasn't real... This isn't real..." He said to himself, and the frantic look on his face was the last thing that I saw when I finally blacked out.

* * *

**TBC...**

**It's hilarious, the last chapter was the longest chapter of the story (so far) and it looks like this will be the shortest chapter of the story.**

**Also, now that Jules is a vampire, we can do cool stuff like ripping her insides out without it killing her!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Things We Lost in the Fire...**_

With the traumatic effects of the Phoenix Stone taking a toll on his brother, Stefan attempts to help Damon regain his grip on reality, while secretly struggling with his own experience in the stone as Juliet attempts to help him through it. Elsewhere, Matt and Bonnie deal with the fallout after Julian and his men take over Mystic Falls, leading Matt to spiral out of control and into trouble with an officer named Penny. Meanwhile, Tyler returns to town for Alaric's baby shower and Caroline makes an upsetting discovery involving Alaric and his future plan for the babies.


	56. Things We Lost in the Fire

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Let's go on to the next chapter!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

When I came to, I was relieved to see that my intestines were properly back in my stomach and my stomach was fully closed. My stomach was still killing me, but at least my insides were _inside_ me. Caroline fed Ivan her vampire blood which healed his throat, so he was fine.

Stefan and I tied up Damon after Nora and Bonnie and Mary Louise neutralized him, and then we had to wait for him to wake up.

I was laying down next to Stefan on the sofa, half awake half asleep in the Lockwood mansion, when I heard Damon calling out his brother's name. I stirred and opened my eyes, sitting up.

"Stefan!" Damon said, and that finally caused Stefan to snap his eyes open.

"Yeah. Yeah I heard you," He said as we both got up from the couch and walked over to Damon, who was still chained in the hallway.

"No vervain this time? We switching up the menu?" Damon asked.

"Nah, I just wanted to make sure you had a chance to calm down," Stefan answered.

"Oh, I'm calm," Damon countered.

Stefan stayed eerily calm, which made Damon confused. "No, no, no. You're gonna say to me. You're gonna say to me, I screwed up so bad. I nearly killed all of our friends because I thought I was stuck in a fake hell-world."

"You don't have to explain. It wasn't your fault," Stefan told him.

"Huh?" Damon asked.

"It was an honest mistake," Stefan shrugged. "You're getting a pass."

Damon looked over at me. "Is he serious?"

I lifted a shoulder. I was sure Stefan was only giving him a pass because he was also in the Phoenix stone. Stefan had been acting strangely too.

"Wait. You skipped a bunch of stuff," Damon said. "First, I'm supposed to say I see the error of my ways, and then you tell me that that's not good enough, and then you judge me harder. And then I say something mean, but true, that totally throws you off balance."

Stefan knelt down in front of Damon so he could look him in the eye. "You came out of the Phoenix Stone but you thought you were still inside of it. Everybody understands."

"Oh. That's pretty generous, considering I just ripped out your wife's intestines..." Damon trailed off, looking at me. "Sorry about that, by the way."

"It's fine," I grumbled. If I was going to take care of Damon for Elena's sake, then I had to let this go. But I understood that the Phoenix stone did some crazy stuff to you.

"Yeah, well the hellstone does a number on you," Stefan said.

"Yeah. Yeah it does," Damon agreed strangely. "Well I'm here. And it's real. I'm ready for my bro hug." Damon spread his arms wide as the chained shackles around him allowed. "I'll wait until you've unchained me, brother."

"Here's the thing, Damon," Stefan started. "Um, Hell messes with you, but post-hell is much worse."

In a concerned tone, Damon responded, "Oh."

The front door opened, and Stefan and I turned our heads to see who it was, and my heart soared when I saw Tyler walking in. He scoffed exasperatedly as his eyes landed on Damon and Stefan.

"You guys gotta be kidding me!" Tyler said. He threw his hands up and gestured to the house as I ran over to him. "This is still my house."

I ran into his waiting arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm glad to see you!" I said as I pulled back.

"Tyler Lockwoof!" Damon joked, and Tyler and I gave Damon an annoyed look as we pulled away. "Yeah, Stefan, I thought my allergies were acting up."

"I didn't know you were back," Stefan said to Tyler.

"Caroline invited me to her baby shower," Tyler explained. "Although she failed to mention the part about Mystic Falls going to crap. What the hell happened out there?"

"Oh, you know," Damon started. "We had to evacuate. Scary Heretics. Fictional mining fires. You weren't CC'd on the memo?"

I gave Damon an awkward look, thinking of what had happened to Mystic Falls while Damon was in the Phoenix stone. "He's not talking about the evacuation, Damon."

"So what is he talking about? I know you two didn't manage to screw the whole town up all over again while I was on my weekend trip to limbo," Damon said.

Stefan sighed. "That's the thing. You weren't gone for just the weekend. You've been gone for weeks."

"Weeks?" Damon did a double take. "Is he serious?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Stefan gently grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Damon. "I think I should talk to him by myself."

I nodded. "Yeah, I totally understand." I gestured to Tyler. "I'll just go get dinner with Tyler or something."

"Yeah," He agreed. "Just promise me you'll be careful?"

I smiled as I leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I promise. And go easy on Damon. He was in the Phoenix world a lot longer than you were."

Stefan promised, and Tyler and I left to go get dinner and catch up.

* * *

As soon the door shut, Stefan went over to grab a chair to put in front of Damon so he could sit down.

"You delegated Deputy Doolittle to patrol the streets with his witchy ride-along?" Damon asked as soon as Stefan explained the situation to him. "Are you sure Bonnie put the right soul back in your body? I mean, what happened to your hero-hair campaign to protect Mystic Falls?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Well, I've been busy trying to raise you from the dead."

His brother scoffed. "It's called multitasking!"

Stefan clenched his jaw. "You have no idea what I have been through."

"Alright, brother. You have a captive audience. What'd I miss?" Damon asked.

"After Bonnie did the spell to bring me out of the stone, all I wanted to do is get back to normal with Juliet, especially after the way I treated her after her initial transition," Stefan started as he thought back to his date with his wife.

* * *

_ "Thanks for doing this," Juliet said when Stefan pulled out her chair for her at the high end restaurant that they were at._

_ "Well, I realized too late that since we've been married, we've had nothing but ups and downs," Stefan replied as he went and sat down across from her. "I was truly awful to you after the whole Julian thing. I should have been more focused on you."_

_ "Stefan, it's really-"She started._

_ "No, I know you're gonna say it's fine, and it's not," He insisted. "I'm tired of you having to give up more in our relationship when I've done nothing but hurt you. So this is our fresh start."_

_ Juliet smiled in pride. "I'd love that." She looked down at her menu, the tips of her ears flushing, and Stefan couldn't help but smile at her blush._

_ "So what do you want to drink?" She asked him, but Stefan had zoned out of the conversation slightly. She was about to call his name to get his attention but he eventually answered, "I don't care. Whatever you want."_

_"I was thinking the red wine," She mused. "If we're celebrating, then I'm willing to give into alcohol."_

_ "Mmhm," Stefan mumbled, and Juliet finally looked up from her menu in concern._

_ "Are you okay?" She asked. "I know that's a stupid question, but are you really sure you want to do this? I mean, it's the first time you've been out in public since you woke up."_

_ Stefan, not wanting to stress Juliet out, said, "I'm... I'm fine. Anyways, I should be asking _you_ that question. I'm surprised you're having such good control over your bloodlust."_

_ Juliet took a deep breath in. "I'm trying to breathe in front my mouth instead of my nose, which helps. But I don't think this is too bad." _

_ Stefan still looked a little distracted, so Jules reached over and grabbed his hand. "Everything's going to be okay, Stefan. You're out of the Phoenix stone, Bonnie said she thinks she's close to getting Damon out, and we're out having a nice dinner like a normal couple."_

_"Yeah, you're right," Stefan nodded. He offered her a weak smile. "You're always right."_

_ Juliet grinned in triumph. "And don't you forget it."_

_ Just then, Damon, still wearing the same clothes he wore the day he was stabbed with the Phoenix Sword, appeared and walked toward them._ "_Hello, lovers. Miss me?_"

_Stefan gaped in horror at the sight of his brother. "How'd you get here?"_

_ Juliet furrowed her eyebrows and looked over her shoulder where Stefan was staring. "Who are you talking to?" She asked, but the question had fallen on deaf ears._

_Damon walked toward Jules with a huge knife in his hand and held it up to stab her, and Stefan reflexively grabbed his fork from the table and lunged toward him. "Get away from her!" He yelled, tackling Damon. He grabbed the knife that Damon was holding and held it against Damon's own neck._

_ That was when Jules interfered. "Stefan!" She protested as she pushed herself away from the table and over to him. Using her new vampire strength, she leaned down and grabbed Stefan by the shoulders, easily hauling him off of Damon._ "_What are you doing?" She asked as she got him standing up. _

_Stefan suddenly snapped out of his hallucination and realized that he had actually pinned down one of the restaurant's waiters, who looked terrified. The rest of the restaurant customers looked at them with scandalized expressions. Stefan, horrified by what he'd just done, quickly backed away from him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," He said as Juliet leaned down and helped the waiter stand up._

_ "We'll just go," she said to Stefan once she had turned away from the waiter and toward Stefan. "We'll just go home and come back another night, okay?" She asked as she cupped the side of his face. "Okay?"_

_ "Okay," He nodded._

* * *

Damon lifted his hands. "So you got out of hell, you're on the up-and-up, and then you started hallucinating me as a waiter. I mean, I couldn't be a manager or something?"

Stefan gave him a look. "I think you're missing the point."

Damon sighed. "I get the point, Stefan. I have no desire to kill Jules. I mean, other than the last time I tried... But we can all agree that that was a huge misunderstanding." Stefan clearly still didn't look convinced because Damon said, "I'm not gonna have a psychotic break, brother. I promise."

Stefan sighed. "Okay. Here's how this is gonna work. I'm gonna unchain you, and you're not gonna leave my side until I'm convinced that you're okay."

"I'm 100% okay," Damon insisted.

"Good. Then you can prove it to me while I drive you around the new Mystic Falls," Stefan decided.

Damon blew air out of his mouth. "Great."

* * *

I never thought that Caroline would be having a baby shower, but you know what? This was exactly how I pictured it.

I stepped off to the side as I talked on the phone with Stefan. "I can't believe you ditched me at Caroline's baby shower."

"Hey, weren't you the one that was excited for this? Saying that we needed a party to distract us from our own lives?"

"Yeah, I did, but the baby-food-tasting game is _seriously_ messing with my new vampire taste buds," I told him as I leaned against the wall.

"Well, lucky for you, that phase only lasts for a few weeks and then you're safe. So it should start fading away soon," He assured me.

I looked over my shoulder and saw Caroline beckoning me to rejoin the party. "Listen, I have to go, but promise me you'll stay safe? I've already lost you too many times-I'm not keen on losing you again."

"Don't you worry. I will. Bye," He said, and after I said it back, we both hung up the phone.

I walked back into the room where Alaric, Matt, Tyler, and Ivan were blindfolded with baby bath towels, about to start a game to see which of them could put a fresh diaper on their baby doll the fastest.

One of the guests started the clock for the race. "And GO!"

I cheered Ivan on as the men raced to beat each other. Bonnie was next to us, recording the game on her phone with an amused smile.

Caroline, however, was standing next to us worried and anxious. "This is a nightmare."

"Are you kidding me? This is the best blackmail material ever," Bonnie said.

"In T-minus a few short weeks, these babies are popping out of me and being handed to him-" Caroline gestured towards Alaric. "-Their only parent. A man who's hardly inspiring any confidence..."

Just then, a bell dinged, and the announcer called them to stop. "Time!"

The boys took off their blindfolds, and it turned out, Alaric and Ivan were tied for first place. Both their diapers were on perfectly.

"Huh!" Caroline said as she admired both of the men.

"I don't know where Ivan learned that," I commented.

Matt and Tyler took off their own blindfolds and gaped in shock when they realized what their results were-Matt had put the diaper on the baby's head, and Tyler had accidentally popped the baby's head off the doll entirely.

"That's terrifying," Alaric said as he looked at his two friends. "You're never babysitting. Neither of you. Ever." Alaric gave Ivan's baby a once-over and then patted him on the back. "_You're_ allowed to babysit."

Alaric and Ivan got to their feet as Caroline went over to the two of them. I went over to Matt, who was looking at his baby doll that still had the diaper over its head. He held it up towards me. "I made a helmet!"

I patted him on the back proudly. "Yes you did, I'm proud of you."

"This is _pathetic_," I heard, and I internally groaned when I realized that Kai was standing next to me. "I can't believe these babies are getting a baby shower."

I stepped away from Matt and generally other people as I turned to Kai. "Listen very closely," I whispered. "The last time I saw you, I woke up in a cemetery, not even knowing how I got there." I lifted a finger at him. "I don't know what you did, but I know you did something. _Stay away from me_. If you don't, you're going to wish you had taken up on my offer."

"Oh, what are you going do?" Kai asked, pretending to be afraid.

"I don't know, but once I figure that out, you'd better watch out," I said, kind of lamely, which was why I didn't blame Kai for shaking his head at me with a smirk before disappearing.

I took a couple of deep breaths before turning back to the party.

* * *

"Hey, how did you do that?" Caroline smiled as she went over to Alaric and Ivan.

Ivan shrugged. "I just really hate losing."

She turned to Alaric. "And you?"

"Well, it's a diaper not a bomb," Alaric said simply. He paused and considered it for a moment before smirking. "Though, I could dismantle a bomb blindfolded if I needed to..."

Caroline laughed sarcastically. "Ha ha. There's nothing funnier than newborns and C4!"

Alaric smiled. "So I shouldn't store my explosives in the nursery? I think I read that in one of the twentyparenting magazines you left in my office..."

"Damn, I guess I should cancel my order of explosives then..." Ivan teased.

Caroline giggled. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'm the overprotective, no-fun surrogate."

Ivan smiled as he went over to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her tightly into his side. "It's cute."

"No, no!" Alaric immediately rejected. "Actually, you are an incredibly generous friend, who I will forever be indebted to."

"Well, it's not about debt..." She said. She hesitated for a moment before she continued. "As long as you understand... once these babies are born, I will not be on-call 24/7 to burp and bathe and feed and diaper..."

Alaric gave her an understanding smile. "I get it, Caroline. I... I don't expect that to be your problem."

Caroline tried to keep the small feeling of guilt off of her face. "Well, it's not a problem. It's just that there's- Oof!" She cut herself off mid-sentence, grabbing her stomach and smiling.

Ivan burst into a smile too. "Let me guess-Baby A kicked?"

Caroline nodded. "Yup!"

Alaric grinned too. "Really?" He reached out and touched her belly tentatively, and when he felt Baby A kick, he laughed excitedly. "Haha! Oh, damn! My daughter's a ninja!"

Caroline laughed as well. "Oh, yeah." Another kick, and Caroline shifted her hand.

"Baby B?" Ivan guessed, and Caroline nodded once again.

"Oh, you can tell 'em apart?" Alaric asked curiously, looking between the two of them.

Caroline smiled sweetly as she looked over at Ivan and then back at Alaric. "Of course!"

"Baby A _always _kicks first," Ivan told Alaric. "But Baby B kicks more than Baby A. Like, she kicks for a longer period of time."

Alaric's mood deflated slightly. He felt bad that he didn't know that but Ivan did. "Really?"

"Yup," Caroline put in. "If anyone's gonna be the ninja, it'll be Baby B."

Alaric nodded once again. He kept smiling, but it was a bit weaker than it was before as he watched Ivan cuddling Caroline's stomach.

* * *

"When were you going to tell me that you lost your grip on reality?" Stefan asked Damon as they walked over to Stefan's car.

Damon winced. "I just did. I like to use visual aids."

Stefan sighed. "You need to tell me what you're going through, because it only gets worse from here."

As they got into the car, Damon scoffed in annoyance. "Worse than you envisioning me as a waiter? Who was I next? A busboy? A valet?"

Stefan sighed once again. "You were everywhere."

* * *

_ Stefan was asleep in the bed that he shared with Juliet in their room at the Lockwood mansion. He jerked in bed as he woke up with a deep gasp from his dream about drowning at Steven's Quarry._

* * *

"I couldn't sleep. Couldn't eat. Couldn't get you out of my head. The only constant I had was Juliet," Stefan told him.

* * *

_ Juliet stirred as she heard Stefan wake up. She was still half asleep, but she was concerned for Stefan because this wasn't the first time he had woken up like this. "Nightmare?" She guessed, her voice laced heavily with sleep._

_ Stefan continued to pant anxiously as he tried to catch his breath. Juliet turned to the side table that was on her side and flicked on the lamp as Stefan spoke, "Yeah. The same one. I was in the quarry. I was... I was drowning, and Damon was there."_

_ Jules sat up in bed, stretching a little as she asked, "He was? What happened?"_

_Stefan hesitated for a moment before he turned on his side and got out of bed. "Doesn't matter. It's over." He stood up and went over to the drawers, reaching in to grab a shirt. "Go back to bed."_

_ Juliet rolled her eyes as she pushed the blankets off of her and got out of bed. She grabbed her robe from on the chair and wrapped it around herself as she walked over to him. "It _does matter_, Stefan. Whatever happened to you in that stupid stone is...it's _still_ bothering you. Look, I already told you the last time you had a nightmare that I'll be ready to listen when you're ready to talk, and I'll say it again."_

_Just then, Hallucination-Damon appeared behind Juliet, and Stefan's eyes widened in horror at the sight of him. _

_ "You're lucky you have her to hold onto, brother," Damon said. _

_"You're not here," Stefan said anxiously._

_ Juliet looked behind her but saw nothing. "Who's not here?" She asked, looking back over at him. "What is it, Stefan?"_

_ Stefan, overwhelmed, groaned in frustration. "Get out of here, Jules."_

_"Yeah, get out of here, Jules! Before I rip your heart right out of your chest!"_

_Stefan couldn't take it anymore. "ENOUGH!" He growled, grabbing a picture frame from their dressing table and throwing at the Damon Hallucination. Juliet jumped out of the way as the picture frame came in contact with the wall, shattering the glass as it fell to the ground._

_"Hey, Stefan!" She said as she ran over to him, grabbing his face. "Stop it! Whatever is there, it's not real! Okay? It's not real!"_

* * *

"But then I pushed her away, too. I lost sight of everything. I barely even noticed when Julian took over our town," Stefan went on.

* * *

_ Stefan doused Damon's unconscious body in gasoline._

* * *

"I was convinced that the only solution was to burn your actual body. I had to stop you from haunting me. I had to get rid of any reminder of what I went through in the hellstone."

* * *

_ Stefan pulled out a lighter and lit it, and his eyes were filled with tears as he tried to muster up the courage to drop it. _

_ Before he could, Juliet walked into the room. Her eyes widened as the smell of gasoline hit her nose and at the sight of Stefan standing over Damon holding a lighter._

_ She vamp sped across the room, grabbing the lighter out of Stefan's hands while simultaneously shoving him away from Damon's body. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She bellowed as she looked from the lighter to Stefan. _

_ "I don't want him to come back, ever," Stefan offered helplessly. "I have to get rid of him."_

_ Juliet sighed in worry. "Listen to me, Stefan. This isn't you. You love Damon so much. How many times have you sacrificed yourself for him?" She dropped her panicky tone. "You would much rather die before you let him die."_

_ Stefan, overwhelmed by all of his Phoenix Stone trauma, started to breathe heavily as he tried to compose himself. He dropped down to the floor next to Damon's body as Juliet knelt down next to him, pocketing the lighter and hugging him tightly to her body. Stefan buried his face in her chest as he held her closely to him._

* * *

"Juliet found me just in time. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself. I would have set your body on fire to end my own suffering," Stefan revealed.

"Well, that explains why I smelled like gas when I woke up," Damon deduced.

Stefan nodded. visibly ashamed by what he almost did, but before either of them could react further, the wind shield to the car was suddenly smashed with a wooden baseball bat by an unidentified man in a blue blazer and jeans. When the brothers looked around to see who it was, the man beat in the driver's side window before hitting Stefan in the head with it, knocking him out cold.

* * *

"I can't believe they'll be here soon," I gushed as I put my hands on Caroline's stomach.

She laughed and nodded. "Yup. I kind of can't wait, in a way. I'm excited to meet them."

"Me too," I said, and as I looked up, I looked over Caroline's shoulder. I frowned a little as I saw Stefan frantically running into the building. "Hold on a sec," I said to her, stepping away from Caroline and running over to Stefan.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as I got over to him. He looked severely overwhelmed, and I felt myself quickly becoming worried.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" He asked frantically.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "I-I'm sorry, Caroline needed it for the playlist. She says I have better music taste than her." I shook my head. "Never mind that, what's up with you? Are you okay?"

"Has Damon been here?" He asked, his eyes scanning the party.

I frowned in confusion. "No? Baby shower isn't exactly Damon's scene. Why?"

"I don't know where he is," He answered in a panicky tone. "I thought he was with me, and then he wasn't, and..."

I looked around at the crowd before grabbing Stefan's hand and leading him into the dorm room. I shut the door behind me and locked it before turning to him. I put my hands on his arms as I said, "Calm down. Take deep breaths, okay?" I took deep breaths in and out to show him, and he did the same. It helped a little, so I asked, "What's going on? Tell me right now Stefan or I swear to God I'll seal us both inside this room until you do."

Stefan took a couple more gulps of breath as he said, "It's happening again. Look, I was talking to Damon, and I think he was there, but now I don't know when he left."

"Hey, it's okay," I told him as I rubbed my hands up and down his arms. "You're okay."

Stefan sighed. "No, I'm not. And neither is he." He suddenly lifted his head and brushed past me towards the door. "I need to go find Damon."

"No you don't," I told him, as I grabbed his arm. He turned to me as I grabbed a hold of both of his arms and slammed him against the door. "I'm trying to be supportive and kind and patient but we're doing this my way now." I poked him in the chest. "We're taking care of you first before we do anything else."

"How are you gonna take care of me?" Stefan asked in frustration. "My soul was literally trapped in a rock."

"I know that," I told him. "You had to pass a test or something to get out of the stone." I let go of him as I stood up straight. "But you never did tell me how you got your freedom."

Stefan looked away, clearly uncomfortable about where this conversation was heading. "Bonnie pulled me out with a spell. You know that."

I growled in frustration. "Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Stefan. Something happened to you in there that you're not telling me."

Stefan still couldn't meet my eyes, and I sighed deeply. "You have got to stop pulling away from me, Stefan. You've got to stop hiding from me."

He sighed. "There's nothing we can do about it now, okay?"

I groaned in annoyance. "Just tell me! Please. I'm trying to understand you, Stefan. And the reason that I haven't been pressing you on this in the past is because I didn't think it would take you this long to open up to me." I put my hands on either side of his face again. Stupidly, tears brimmed my eyes as I said, in an almost pleading tone, "You can't keep going on like this. It'll kill you."

After a long minute, Stefan finally sighed as his eyes filled with tears. He leaned his forehead against my shoulder as he closed his eyes. I felt him shake a little as he started, "I was living in a repeating loop of misery. Every loop ended with Damon dragging me into the quarry. The water was black and freezing. We were drowning together. Every time I tried to swim to the surface, he dragged me back down. Every time I tried to save him, I died too. I finally realized that there was only one way to escape. If I wanted to survive, I had to go on without him. So, I let him go."

Stefan opened his eyes as he lifted his head. "I abandoned him. I let my brother drown so I could save myself."

I nodded my head slowly in realization. "That's why you keep seeing him everywhere? A Hallucination-Damon is mad at something that you did in a world that wasn't even real?"

"The hellstone is trying to tell me something," Stefan explained. "It's trying to prove a point. I will never be happy until Damon is out of my life for good."

I gave him a look. "You can't really believe that, can you?"

Stefan was quiet, so I went on. "We thought that with Klaus out of our lives for good, we'd all be safe. But look at us; bad things keep happening to us. If Damon is out of your life forever, that doesn't mean that you'll be happy. I mean, look at me." I lifted a shoulder. "I thought for a time that my life would be better if Elena wasn't in it. But look at me now. My life isn't better. I lost my sister for sixty plus years, my brother's gone, and my home is gone. But you know what my one silver lining is?"

I went on when he didn't answer. "_You_, you goofball. You make my life worth living, especially now that it's eternal. And your silver lining is Damon. So don't tell me that your life would be happier without him, because after everything you've sacrificed and everything that you've done for him, it's not in the least bit true."

After my little rant, Stefan grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a kiss, effectively shutting me up. His kiss was filled with despair, need for comfort, but also care. I gave into his distraction as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pushing myself up further to kiss him back.

He needed me. He needed the comfort of my kiss. And I'd give it to him.

* * *

Caroline and Ivan were in Alaric's apartment, opening and putting away all of the gifts Alaric and Caroline received at the baby shower.

Caroline was just folding a onesie when she when she suddenly noticed a letter on Alaric's desk. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she grabbed it and read the name on it.

_Southern Methodist University's Department of Anthropology_.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure that Ivan's back was to her as she picked it up and scanned it. The letter was a job offer as a tenured professor.

At first, it didn't register in Caroline's mind. When it did, her eyes filled with tears. She sniffled loudly, gaining Ivan's attention.

"What is it?" He asked as he came over to Caroline. She quickly tried to hide the letter, but Ivan took it out of her hands, and honestly? Caroline hadn't put up much of a fight.

Ivan did a quick read through of the letter. "So Alaric's getting a job offer? So what?"

"Didn't you read where the school _was_?" She asked, pointing at the location.

"Dallas?" Ivan read out loud.

"He's planning on leaving with the babies," She elaborated.

Ivan shrugged a little. "I can't say I blame him."

Caroline gave him a look. "What?"

Ivan sighed as he took Caroline's hand in his own as he sat down on top of the table. "If these babies were ours, I wouldn't want to raise my kids here either. The only thing Mystic Falls knows is death and danger. So yeah, I don't blame Alaric for taking his daughters and getting the hell out of dodge."

"But, the babies..." Caroline tried weakly, knowing that Ivan was making a lot of sense, but her heart was saying something else entirely.

Ivan gave her a gentle smile. "They're not yours, Caroline. If Alaric wants to leave with them, he can. And if you love these babies, then you'll want what's best for them, right?"

Caroline was about to answer when the front door opened, and Alaric walked in. Caroline and Ivan separated as Caroline grabbed the onesies that she was folding. Alaric walked into the living room as Caroline turned around to face him. "Um, I think that I should wash these onesies with the... hypoallergenic detergent first. Where are the keys to the laundry room?"

Alaric looked at the two of them oddly. "It's midnight, Caroline. I mean, we've got plenty of time to take care of all this stuff."

"Yeah, I know. I know. We should also really get a head start on those car seats, because I read somewhere that first-time parents are just always messing those up," She didn't pause, not wanting to show how upset she was. "And did you happen to notice if the monitor came with little batteries? You don't have any around here. And the last thing that you need are just these screaming, crying babies in the middle of the night, and you can't even hear them..."

Alaric looked over Caroline's shoulder at Ivan, who just shook his head. Alaric looked back at Caroline. "Hey, what's going on with you? You okay?"

She looked over at Ivan, silently asking him if she should bring it up. Knowing that these babies were very important to Caroline, Ivan nodded. She sighed as she looked back over at Alaric, holding up the letter. "When were you gonna tell me that you're leaving?"

Alaric, caught, sighed a little. "...When I officially got the job."

Knowing that it was futile, Caroline still asked, "And what's wrong with the job that you have now?"

"There's nothing wrong with the job. It's the place," he answered.

She sighed, lowering her head a little. "You don't want to raise your kids around vampires," She said as a statement, not a question.

Alaric nodded. "That's right. Look, I'm sorry. I thought all this baby stuff bonanza, you know, all this single parent on their own..."

"Yeah. No, it was-" Caroline said, shaking her head a little.

Alaric looked at her sympathetically. "Caroline, I was under the impression, you know, that once the babies were born... That you weren't gonna be involved."

Ivan reached forward and rubbed soft circles around Caroline's back, letting her know that he was there for her. With Ivan behind her, Caroline put on a brave face. "Uh, no. I won't, because they're not mine. They're yours and Jo's."

Ivan decided to cut in before Caroline could actually break down. "I think it's smart," Ivan offered, and Alaric smiled at him in thanks. "Safety for your children is all a parent could ever ask for and Lord knows that Mystic Falls-and Whitmore college, actually-are never safe." Ivan patted Alaric on the shoulder as he reached behind him and took Caroline's hand in his own. "Take your kids and get as far away from here as possible."

With that, he squeezed Caroline's hand in comfort, and prepared himself for Caroline's tears that night when they went to bed. She needed him.

* * *

_**Three years from now...**_

* * *

In Dallas, Texas, Matt Donovan, with a gun in his right hand, walked through the news station where Caroline worked. Her prerecorded message to Stefan continued on a loop on the nearby television screen.

"We apologize for the interruption to your current program," Her voice echoed. "My name is Caroline. Please listen carefully. I have an urgent message for Stefan Salvatore."

Matt walked through the dark studie towards a large box, which he opened to reveal two bloodied figures.

Caroline Forbes had duct tape over her mouth and her hands were bound. At her feet laid a still unconscious Juliet Gilbert. Juliet had been thrown in shortly after Caroline had been, and no matter what Caroline tried, she couldn't rouse her best friend.

Matt aimed the gun mainly at Caroline because Juliet was still unconscious. Caroline winced as he ripped the tape off of her mouth and looked at him in surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Mystic Falls."

Matt broke the restraints off of her wrists, though his gun was still aimed at her. "I had to stop by and visit some buddies at Dallas PD and convince them that this hostage thing was a hoax," He said coldly. "Get up."

"You can put the gun down..." Caroline breathed anxiously.

Matt didn't relent as he said firmly, "Get up."

Caroline gently grabbed Juliet's arm and slung it over her shoulder. She struggled a little, but she stood on her feet while supporting Juliet both with shock and appreciation. "Thank you," She said to him.

"You can go now," He said to her. "And take Juliet with you."

Caroline looked at him in confusion. "That's it?"

"You already did what we needed," Matt told her.

Caroline became horrified when she realized what was going on. "_We_? You're helping _her_?" She growled.

"Juliet was the easiest way to get to Stefan, and you were the easiest way to broadcast her to him," He explained. "Don't take it personally."

"'Don't take it personally?'" Caroline repeated in disbelief. "I have a _family_, Matt."

"So did I," Matt shut down her down coldly. "And a girlfriend, and a life... And now I don't. So, your problems don't mean anything to me anymore. Now, go. Get out of sight and stay out of sight until Huntress gets what she wants."

Matt turned and walked away, leaving a horrified and stunned Caroline behind as she held Juliet to her side.

* * *

**TBC...**

**Next chapter to hopefully follow soon!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Postcards from the Edge...**_

**DAMON'S DARK DESCENT – **When his experience in the Phoenix stone leads him to do the unthinkable, Damon finds himself without a care in the world, spiraling out of control and under the influence of a dangerous and reckless Julian. Refusing to give up on his brother, Stefan and Juliet attempt to reason with Damon only to uncover the devastating reason for his descent. Elsewhere, Caroline begins having some dangerous side effects as a result of her supernatural pregnancy and she and Ivan are forced to turn to Valerie for help. Meanwhile, Bonnie, Nora and Mary Louise attempt to track down a ruthless vampire hunter named Rayna after they suspect that she has reemerged.


	57. Postcards from the Edge

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **On to the next chapter!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"_Dear Elena. I realized I haven't written in a while," _Caroline began as she wrote down in her diary. She was sitting down on her bed in her dorm. "_I'm sorry. Apparently, pregnancy eats at your brain. Anyway, we all miss you, and Stefan's finally bouncing back from that Phoenix Stone hell. But, he's worried about Damon... a lot more than usual. Which, in turn, of course, makes Juliet more worried about Stefan _and_ Damon."_

Just then, the door opened, and Ivan walked in with a paper bag in his hands. Caroline looked up when the door opened and smiled, setting the journal aside.

"Hey," He greeted as he sat down on the bed. "I couldn't decide if I should bring you waffles or curly fries, so I just brought both."

"All of them. Everything. Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Caroline gushed as Ivan handed her the bag. She reached into it, pulling out a smaller bag of waffles fries that she immedaitely dug into. She moaned in pleasure. "Mmm, oh, my God! I love you!"

Ivan smirked at her. "Now was that directed at me or the fries?"

Caroline gave him a mischevious smile. "Do you want me to lie to you?"

Ivan made a noise of amusement as Caroline leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Hi. I love you, too."

Caroline pulled away and went back to her snack. "Have you talked to Stefan?"

Ivan nodded. "Yup. He and Jules still haven't found Damon yet."

Caroline sighed. "Okay. Let me just chow down on this cheeseburger, and then we'll go help them track him down."

"Sounds like a plan," Ivan said as he watched Caroline eat. He reached forward to grab one of the fries, and she instinctively pulled it away from him. Ivan held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, should have thought better than that."

Caroline had given him a cute smile when she suddenly yelped in surprise. She reached down and grabbed her swollen belly with one hand as one of the babies kicked. "Oh!"

"Baby A kicked?" Ivan asked as Caroline continued to rub her side with her hand.

"Mmhmm," Caroline nodded. "Yeah, just... Ow!" She winced as the babies kicked harder, grabbing her side. She noticed the concerned look on Ivan's face and tried to laugh it off. "Yeah, that wasn't very nice."

Another hard kick, and this time Caroline's yelp was louder. Ivan reached his hands forward, as if he wanted to do something but just didn't know what. "Caroline, are you okay?" He asked worriedly. "What can I do?"

"I think I should just, um... I'm gonna stand up," She said as she set her food down.

"Okay," Ivan said. He held out his hands to her, and she grabbed them as she stood up.

"For a second," She assured him as soon as she was on her feet. She took a couple of deep breaths as she let go of Ivan's hands and put them back on her stomach.

To Ivan's horror, Caroline's knees buckled, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fainted, falling forwards. Luckily, he caught her before she could fall on her stomach. "Hey, hey, Caroline. Hey, Caroline! Wake up!"

Caroline was unresponsive. Ivan wasn't a very strong person, he could admit that, but he was going crazy with worry, and he was able to reach down and grab Caroline's legs as he grabbed her into his arms and took her out to his car to drive her to the hospital.

* * *

Ivan got Caroline to the hospital on Whitmore campus, where she was admitted. She dozed away in bed as Ivan stood outside of her hospital room with her doctor.

"She's napping now, but she's okay," the doctor confirmed. "Her heart's a little weak, but the babies appear to be totally fine."

"Are you sure?" Ivan asked, biting on his thumbnail with worry. "She fainted. That's not normal, right?"

The doctor shrugged as she opened up a file. "Well, it's not abnormal. Her blood vessels have dilated, which can lower blood pressure."

Ivan wasn't entirely convinced, but he nodded anyways for the doctor's sake.

"You know, it's best to keep the father in the loop in situations like this. Would you like for me to contact her boyfriend?" The doctor asked.

Ivan felt a little uncomfortable as he said, "I'm her boyfriend, but the father isn't here, he's in Dallas for a job interview. Caroline's a surrogate," he explained, and the doctor nodded her head in realization. "I'll call him."

The doctor gave Ivan a polite smile as she walked away, allowing him to go into Caroline's room to check on her.

She must have heard him come in because her eyes fluttered open and she smiled, sitting up slightly so she could see him better. "Hey," She breathed.

"Hey," He said back to her in the same tone, reaching for her hand. "You gave me a good scare back there. You're gonna have to-" He stopped midsentence as he grabbed it. He frowned as he held it up, getting a closer look and allowing Caroline to see it. Her hand was gray and mottled, the skin of a vampire's when it dessicated. "What the hell?" Ivan wondered.

Caroline's heart dropped as she became filled with horror from the sight of her hand. "Is my hand _desiccating_?!"

* * *

With no other choice, Ivan and Caroline called Valerie to come and take a look at Caroline. She arrived at the hospital after ten minutes and frowned after she examined Caroline's dessicating hand. "Well, that's not good..." She mused.

Caroline, bordering on hysterical, looked at her incredulously. "Yeah, duh! That's why we called you. Can't you just be witchy and fix it?"

Valerie hesitated before gesturing to Caroline's belly. "May I?"

Caroline nodded, and Valerie held her hand just inches away from Caroline's baby bump. Her hand glowed red as she started to siphon whatever was happening to Caroline. Caroline's hand started to return to its normal colour, but after a moment, a zapping sound blared, and Valerie reflexively jerked her hand away as though she had just been shocked.

Ivan frowned in concern as he looked from Caroline's stomach back to Valerie. "What did you just do?" He asked.

Alarmed, Valerie answered, "I didn't do anything."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ivan demanded.

Valerie looked at the couple in shock. "I think these babies are siphoners... like me."

Caroline and Ivan's eyes practically bulged out of their heads. "_What_?!" Caroline cried.

"And, I'm afraid they might be feeding off your blood... As in, they're literally siphoning the vampire magic out of your body," Valerie finished, and the three of them all exchanged horrified looks.

* * *

Stefan and I ran through the doors of Whitmore medical center. We had been trying to figure out where Damon was, and I needed to have my phone off for it, so I didn't see the twenty calls from Ivan until I turned it back on. It turned out, Caroline had fainted and Ivan took her to the hospital, and now Caroline's hand was dessicating.

I practically threw the doors off of its hinges as I got to Caroline's floor. It was easy to find which room she was in, because Ivan was standing outside of the door.

"How is she?" Stefan asked as the two of us came to stop in front of Ivan.

Ivan rubbed his face. "She's hanging in there. She's in there right now with Valerie."

"Valerie?" I wondered as I looked in through the small window in the door, where I saw Valerie talking to Caroline, who was laying in bed.

"We thought she could just siphon whatever was happening to Caroline right out of her body," Ivan explained. "So she was the only person we could call. But Valerie thinks that the babies are siphoners too, and that they're siphoning the vampire magic out of Caroline."

Stefan sucked in a breath. "Is that even possible?"

Ivan shrugged a little. "Kai was a siphoner, and Jo was his twin sister. She could definitely carry the trait but just not express it herself, so she can pass it down to her children."

I ignored the rest of their conversation as I strained my vampire hearing to hear what the two of them were talking about inside. I brushed my hair over my ear and cupped it.

"What is it?" I heard Caroline ask, who was looking at a bracelet on her wrist.

"It's a talisman spelled with magic. I'm hoping the babies will pull from it instead of you," Valerie explained.

"And if they don't?" Caroline panicked. "They still have to bake in there a little bit longer. And I haven't even done the thank you notes from the baby shower yet..."

Valerie smiled at her resassuringly, trying to calm her down a little. "If it doesn't work, I'll find something stronger. I won't let anything bad happen, I promise."

Caroline sighed in relief as she leaned back on the bed, giving Valerie a weak smile. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Valerie nodded.

"No, really," Caroline stressed. She innocently shrugged. "You know, we're not meant to like each other, you and I. I'm Juliet's best friend, her person, which means I'm supposed to hate you on principle." She nodded at Valerie. "Which makes what you're doing all that much nicer. So, thank you."

Valerie smiled back at her. "Well, Ivan seemed very worried about you, and, well, the two of you are sweet together."

The mention of Ivan made Caroline grin. "Thank you," She told her.

I stopped listening and made my way inside. Caroline's face brightened as I practically ran over to her side. "Hey," She greeted, holding her hands out to me.

"Hey," I said back as I grabbed her hands. They looked perfectly fine, for now. "How are you doing?"

"Much better, thanks to Valerie," Caroline nodded her thanks to the Heretic.

Ivan appeared at the door, and Valerie looked from Ivan to Caroline. "I'll be back," She said to us, and she went out the door.

I looked over at Caroline, who nodded after her. "Go. I know you're curious."

I gave her hands a reassuring squeeze before going after her. Once I stepped outside and shut the door firmly behind me, I caught Ivan saying to Valerie, "The doctor asked her to stay for observation."

"Well, the desiccation hasn't come back," Valerie updated as I walked over and stood next to Stefan, crossing my arms. "I think the babies have been siphoning very slowly for a long time. She just didn't realize it. And try not to worry. It doesn't do any good." Valerie's expression suddenly changed to a worried one, and she looked over at Stefan. "...By the way, um, have you spoken to your brother today?"

Stefan frowned in concern. "No, he hasn't been returning my calls. Why? Have you?"

Valerie looked uneasy as she explained, "I saw him... earlier at the Mystic Grill. He seemed to be very intent on getting under Julian's skin. He made quite a show of decapitating one of his men."

The three of us instantly became filled with horror. "What?" I blurted.

"Why would he do that?" Stefan pressed.

"Julian warned us to stay away from his friends. Seemed like he had a bit of a death wish to me," Valerie said.

"Well, I have to go after him," Stefan said as he turned around to run out the doors of the hospital.

"Stefan, wait!" I said as I grabbed his arm. That made him stop and turn around to look at me. I gulped, but stood my ground. "I'm coming with you."

"Juliet, no," Valerie rejected before Stefan even had the chance to. I couldn't help the teeny bit of surprise that sprung up in me as she came over to me and put her hand on my shoulder in concern. "Are you forgetting that Julian is the one that turned you into a vampire in the _first place_? Why would you willing go to him?"

I sighed as I looked from Stefan to Valerie. "I have to do this. Not for Damon, but for Elena, my sister," I explained to Valerie. "I promised her before we locked her body up that I'd look after Damon for her. And if he's trying to get himself killed, then I have to try to stop him, don't I?" I shrugged a little. "Besides, he's my brother-in-law. It's actually one of my jobs as his sister-in-law to save him when he's being stupid."

Stefan still didn't look sure. "You don't have to do this," He said softly. "I can take care of my brother."

I put my hands on his shoulders. "Stefan, I'm _sure _I want to do this. Please?"

* * *

Of all the situations that Damon Salvatore could have gotten himself into, I never would have thought that it was gonna be _vampire fight club_.

There was a huge crowd that was going wild around a stage where Damon was fighting with other vampires. Stefan held on to my hand tightly so that I wouldn't get lost in the crowd, and we trudged our way through the crowd until we got to the stage.

"Damon! Damon! What the hell's going on?" Stefan asked as we got to the front.

Damon growled at Stefan. "You made a wrong turn, brother. This isn't some hell-survivor support group."

"Are you in or out?" A new voice said, and I felt a shiver run down my back when I recognized it to be Julian. I held my ground, more concerned than scared.

Damon turned to join Julian, but Stefan reached over and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, spinning him around so that Damon was facing his brother. "Hey. Do not get into that ring. Leave with me right now. Whatever's going on, we will figure it out."

More irritable, Julian asked again, "Are you in or are you out?"

Damon looked back and forth between Julian and Stefan before he sneered, giving a pointed look at me and Stefan, "I'm in."

* * *

"Where's Ivan?" Caroline asked as Valerie walked into the room holding a thermos and a stack of magazines for her.

"He just went back to his dorm to change his clothes," She answered. She held up the magazines and the thermos. "But he sends his love, and he asked me to bring you something to read and some real food, since you're eating for three now."

Caroline nodded, before noticing that there was something off with Valerie. "Where's Juliet?" She asked when she realized her best friend was missing. Caroline knew Jules and she knew that if Caroline was in the hospital, there was no where else Jules was going to be.

Valerie tried her best to make herself look not guilty, but it didn't really work. "She... had to step out for a bit."

"Step out where?" Caroline pressed. When Valerie grimaced, Caroline demanded, "Step out where, Valerie?"

Valerie sighed in defeat. "She went to Mystic Falls with Stefan. Damon's gotten himself into some trouble with Julian."

"What?" Caroline asked in horror.

Valerie went over to Caroline's bedside, trying to calm her. "No, I-I told her she didn't have to worry, that I would stay here and look after you."

Caroline scoffed. "Yeah, of course you did. God, if you hate Julian so much, can't you just go kill him yourself?"

Valerie was a little hurt by the comment and tried to explain herself. "What? No, it's-it's not about that."

"You want Stefan to defend your honour by killing Julian," Caroline went on. "And Juliet's been trying her best to be okay with it! She got herself _killed_ trying to help you! And now she's right back where she was when she first turned, trying once again to make things right!"

Valerie felt the words like a slap. "No, of course not. I just..."

Caroline realized that she was losing control of her temper and sighed as she reigned it in. "You have to go make sure Julie-and-and Stefan are okay."

Valerie gave her an exasperated look, but Caroline refused to back down. "I'm serious. I don't want you here with me, I want you there with him. I feel fine." When Valerie still looked hesitant, Caroline sighed. "I've already failed Julie once when it came to Julian. I...I can't fail her again. But since I'm in no position to go help her, you're the best I've got. So just go."

Valerie sighed but relented, and she was out the door before Caroline could try to persuade her again.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?!" I demanded of Damon. We were standing in an alley near the fighting ring, and I was trying to help Stefan figure out what was wrong with Damon. Damon was going to be fighting _Julian_ next. "Julian's got three hundred years under his belt!"

Damon shrugged. "Then it should be a good fight."

He turned to try and go to Julian, but Stefan pulled him back again. "Hey. That stone is still messing with your head, Damon. Let me help you get through it."

"There's nothing to get through, Stefan. This is what I deserve," Damon insisted.

Stefan and I frowned in confusion. "Deserve?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan went on. "What do you deserve, huh?"

"You don't back off, brother, I will destroy you like I've destroyed everything good I've ever touched," Damon told him.

"Something happened to you. Tell me. Tell _us_," Stefan put his hand on my back, and I walked towards Damon. "We're your family, Damon. Tell us what happened to you, Damon."

Just then, Julian showed up. "Will someone please escort Stefan and Juliet off the premises?"

Four of Julian's vampires showed up; two grabbed a hold of me, and two grabbed a hold of Stefan, trying to pull us away. We both instantly fought against them.

"I'm not just gonna walk away and let you fight this guy to the death," Stefan insisted.

"Doesn't look like you have much say in the matter," Damon said casually.

We finally started being pulled back, and I tried digging my heels into the ground as I shouted, "Don't do this, Damon! Don't do it!"

Damon nodded his head at us. "Godspeed," He said, and he turned around.

As a last resort, I shouted, "What would Elena think?"

Damon froze in his step. After a few long seconds, he turned around. His eyes were stone cold as he answered, "I don't care."

And with that, I was dragged backwards in disbelief as Stefan and I were escorted out, leaving Damon to fight Julian alone.

* * *

After we got to Stefan's car, we were quickly met with Valerie, who revealed that Caroline sent her to help us. Now that we had a real witch by our sides, we made a plan before setting it in motion.

We had Valerie cloak us as we went back to the ring. When we got there, Julian had Damon pinned down by the neck and his hand over Damon's chest, prepared to rip his heart out. The crowd went crazy as Julian moved to shove his hand in Damon's chest, but he was stopped by Valerie using a pain infliction spell on him. He yelled in pain and grabbed his head in his hands.

Valerie uncloaked us as Stefan got to the stage in front of Julian, and he punched Julian in the face, and I kicked Julian square in the chest as he fell down to the ground. Julian was still incapacitated over the spell and our hits, allowing Stefan and I to look over at Damon with incredulous looks.

"Listen to me. If you let Julian rip your heart out, I will kill him and then every single person here will instantly rip my head off." Stefan shook his head. "But you don't care, do you? Your life doesn't matter and neither does mine, does it?"

Stefan held out his hand to Damon to help him up. "Come on, brother. Come on."

Reluctantly, Damon took Stefan's hand, and the three of us vamp sped away with Julian still unable to fight back and stop us because of the spell.

Once we got far away enough, Damon immediately broke off from the two of us. Stefan and I shared frustrated looks as we went after him.

"Hey. Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"Nowhere in particular, I don't have a destination," He answered.

"So you're not even going to try to say anything about what happened back there?" I asked as we stomped after him.

Finally, Stefan got fed up and smacked Damon on the arm. That finally got his attention, and Damon stopped and sighed. "You're right, Stefan. Giving Julian the satisfaction of ripping my heart out would have been a mistake. Thanks for the intervention."

Damon turned around and walked away again, but Stefan and I weren't going to leave him. "That's it?" Stefan asked, frustration clearly building up in him.

"That's it," Damon replied.

"You're just gonna walk away from us?" I asked in exasperation. "We're your _family_, Damon. You can't just leave and flip your switch on us!"

Damon turned to face us again and scoffed. "'Flip my switch?'" He repeated. "I'm not gonna flip my switch, Jules. I want to feel pain. I want to feel every miserable moment of this miserable life."

"What is this about?" Stefan pleaded. "What did you do?"

Damon hesitated, a far away look in his eyes, but finally answered, "I killed her." I was going to ask _who_, but he answered before I could ask. "I killed Elena."

And my heart fell to my feet.

Stefan's eyes widened in shock, and I was pretty sure I had the same expression on my face. "What do you... what do you mean, you killed Elena?"

"It was all Henry's idea," Damon explained. "He told me I needed to free my true self, so I kidnapped Tyler and made him take me to her coffin. And then I burned her to ashes."

My eyes became flooded with tears as I felt my heart slowly starting to break. I thought back to the last conversation I had with my sister.

_"I love you, big sis."_

_ "I love you, little sis."_

Damon nodded at our appalled looks, as if this was the reaction that he had wanted. "So go ahead. Stand by me. Tell me you'll never walk away. Go ahead, come on. Do it. Do it!"

Finally, I launched myself at Damon. I punched him hard in the face before dragging my fingernails down his cheeks, breaking the skin and digging my nails as hard as I could. I couldn't see through my tears.

Damon _killed_ her. My sister was _dead_. I'd never get to see her again. Not in sixty years, not in a hundred, not in a thousand. I was doomed to eternity without being able to see her again.

I moved to snap his neck, but Stefan grabbed me by the waist and pulled me off of Damon before I could. I finally just dropped to the ground as I sobbed, covering my mouth.

I looked up at the brothers, and Stefan punched Damon hard in the face. Then, Stefan leaned down, picked me up, and began walking away without another word as I wailed into his shirt.

Stefan put me in the passenger seat of his car, putting my seatbelt on for me before he went to the driver's side and got in.

"She's _dead_," I cried, and I looked over at Stefan, who finally broke down into tears. He punched the steering wheel as hard as he could, over and over again until I finally reached over and grabbed his hands, stopping him.

"Stefan, enough!" I told him. "There's nothing we can do now. Please, just don't hurt yourself."

Before Stefan could say anything, the back seat door opened, and Valerie climbed in. She hesitated for a second before she said, "We should probably get back to the hospital."

When the two of us remained silent, she tried her best to make a joke to lighten the mood. "Should I drive? I hate to think we survived all that just to have you kill us on the road."

"We're fine," Stefan said, and I wiped my tears off my cheeks. Maybe if I said it enough, eventually I'd mean it.

"Yeah, we're fine," I repeated.

Valerie sighed. "You don't seem fine. Either of you."

"This is all Julian's fault," Stefan said. "He took Lily away from me when I was too young to lose a mother." He looked over at Valerie. "He hurt you. He killed our child." Then he looked over at me. "He _killed_ you, he turned you into a vampire. He destroyed Damon. He has my home. He has my town. And what do I do? I let him live."

"He's strong, and well-protected," Valerie pointed out. "There's revenge, and then there's stupidity. Damon might not understand the difference, but you're smarter."

Stefan nearly growled. "I don't want to be the smart one anymore." He lifted his head, looking at the two of us. "I want him dead."

* * *

Ivan texted Caroline saying that he was just going to grab some homework to do and grab them both something to eat before he came back to the hospital.

Caroline sighed a little, putting her phone back on the table and preparing herself to be alone for a little while longer. She suddenly smiled, realizing she _wasn't_ alone as the babies began to kick. She rubbed her hands over her swollen belly and giggled. "Okay, so you're both awake," She spoke softly to the twins. "I get it. I'm bored, too. And I know that my magic blood tastes really good, but you're both gonna have to show just a little bit of self-control for a little bit longer, okay?" She looked up at the television, then back down to her stomach. "Why don't we watch some TV? Hmm?"

Caroline leaned over to the table to grab the remote and suddenly gasped in shock and pain as the babies kicked harder, forcing her to stop and grab her aching stomach. Ow! Nngh!" She groaned.

She threw the blanket off of her, and her heart fell in horror as she saw that her leg had started to desiccate from her foot all the way up to her knee. She began hyperventilating in panic as she struggled to grab her phone. "Ah! Ivan!"

Caroline rolled her and tried to grab her phone, but her hand started to desiccate as well, and her eyes widened in horror before she got another cramp. She closed her eyes and groaned loudly as she was overwhelmed with pain. "UGH! IVAN!" She screamed.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stefan asked as we stood in front of the Mystic Grill, where Julian and his lackeys were waiting inside. "I can do it alone."

I took a deep breath. "The man killed me, Stefan. He took away the only thing I had ever wanted." I looked over at him. "If you don't kill him, I'll do it myself."

Stefan nodded, then gave me a quick kiss filled with comfort. I looked over my shoulder, where I knew a cloaked Valerie was standing. "You ready?"

"I've been waiting for this moment for over a hundred years, Juliet," She answered, and it was trippy hearing the answer but not seeing the person. "I'm ready."

With that, the three of us strolled into the restaurant and headed straight for Julian.

"Stefan, Juliet! What a surprise," He said, though his fake-nice demeanour was so obvious. "Can I buy you two a drink?"

"No, thank you," Stefan answered, and I nodded as we both mimicked his attitude.

"I really admire what you did for your brother today," Julian said. "You know, it's a shame nothing will come of it. I'm afraid your brother's too far gone to be rehabilitated."

"You're probably right," I answered for Stefan. "Of course, uh..." I cut myself off as I vamp sped towards Julian and stabbed him through the hand with a knife I had swiped from one of the tables on the way in, pinning his hand to the table. "You _are_ the one who ran him through with that sword and sent him to hell."

Julian groaned in pain for a moment before he chuckled sarcastically. "Do you really think it's wise..." He pulled the knife out of his hand and threw it aside. "To brazenly attack me in front of all my friends?"

Stefan punched Julian in the face, infuriating him so much that he prepared to lunge at him. However, before he could, Valerie uncloaked herself in front of Julian and grabbed him in a telekinetic choke-hold. Julian struggled against her grip and gasped for breath as the three of us glared at the man who had ruined all our lives.

"Here's the thing... they can't see you," Stefan revealed.

Julian looked around the room at his vampire minions, all of whom were congregated in small groups who were talking and laughing amongst themselves, completely oblivious to Stefan, Valerie, and I's presence. Julian's eyes widened in horror as he realized that Valerie had cloaked the four of us.

Stefan looked back at me for a moment. I nodded in encouragement. Even though Julian wronged me by killing me and turning me into a vampire, Stefan was the one who lost more than I did. Stefan was the one who deserved the satisfaction of Julian's kill.

Stefan pulled a stake out of his inner jacket pocket before he turned back to Julian. "Maybe this is cheating... but I don't really care."

With that, Stefan rushed him, but Julian managed to fight through Valerie's spell enough to grab Stefan by the arm and try to keep him from plunging the stake into his heart. However, he was ultimately not strong enough to save his life, and Stefan slowly stabbed the point of the stake into Julian's heart, watching in satisfaction as Julian's body desiccated. As soon as the stake went all the way through his heart, Julian dropped down to the ground, finally dead.

I felt a wave of satisfaction flow through me. The man who had been terrorizing us all was finally gone. I ran over to Stefan and gave him a big hug. He swung me softly from side to side as he buried his face in my hair.

When he let me go, I went over to Valerie, who had tears in her eyes but who looked relieved over the fact that the man who had took away a happy future from her was finally dead. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and to my surprise, Valerie didn't hesitate in wrapping her own arms around me and putting her chin on my shoulder, hugging me back.

It was all over.

* * *

_**Three years from now...**_

* * *

Caroline Forbes had dragged Juliet halfway through the parking lot when she finally came to. The wound on her stomach from her attack at the school was now healed, and she looked around her in wonder. She closed her eyes as she was nearly blinded by the sun. "What's going on?"

"We're getting out of here and as far away from the Hunter as possible," Caroline answered as she finally got to her car.

Juliet was still uneasy on her feet as Caroline leaned her against the car so she could open the door and get in. "The Hunter?" She repeated. "Wait...is Stefan here?"

"I don't think so and I'm not waiting around to find out," Caroline answered as she opened the passenger side and grabbed Juliet's arm, trying to put her in the car. "Let's go."

"But if Stefan's here, I need to talk to him," Juliet answered, trying to fight against the grogginess.

"Jules, you're going to get yourself killed if you drag yourself into this mess," Caroline retorted. "Now come _on_!"

"But Caroline-" She tried, but her best friend cut her off.

"Really, Jules?" Caroline asked in disbelief. "You're really going to stay and fight for him after everything he's done to you?"

Juliet hesitated, but lifted her chin and answered, "He's my husband, Caroline."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I don't have the time for this. Look, even if I did leave you here by yourself, you're not strong enough. Just get into the car and we'll come up with a plan, okay?"

Even though Caroline had no intention of actually doing so, she made a convincing face which eventually won Juliet over. "Fine," She relented as she got into the car. Caroline closed the door behind her and ran over to the driver's side, sliding in. As soon as her keys were in the ignition and the car was put into drive, Caroline took off.

* * *

Arriving at the news station where Caroline worked a couple of hours after Caroline and Juliet had left, Stefan Salvatore got out of Valerie's car. He spun on his heel when he heard footsteps behind him and found Matt Donovan was following him. He frowned at Matt in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Caroline and Jules are safe," Matt told him. "I got them out. Caroline's with Ric now, but I'm not sure about Jules." He nodded his head at the building. "Damon's still inside. I managed to disable the security cameras so no one can see out here, but I'm worried the ones on the roof are on a different circuit."

Matt looked up at the nearby roof, and when Stefan turned to look at it as well, Matt stabbed him in the neck with a syringe of vervain, causing Stefan to gasp for breath as he collapsed on the ground and fell unconscious.

Matt walked over to where a security camera was affixed to the top of the entrance to the building and talked into it, sounding anxious and unhappy. "All right, I did it. He's out. Now I never see you again, right?"

He heard the sound of the intercom turning on, and the vampire hunter Rayna's voice answered, "Yes, thank you. Have a nice life."

* * *

**TBC...**

**ONE MORE EPISODE AND THEN IT'S TIME FOR THE CROSSOVER!**

**I have an exciting announcement regarding the crossover!**

**I have decided that because the events of the crossover episode lead directly into the episode of the Originals, I SHALL BE DOING BOTH CROSSOVER EPISODES!**

**YUP YUP YUP!**

**SO INSTEAD OF JUST ONE EPISODE WITH JULIET AND THE ORIGINALS GANG, IT'LL BE TWO!**

**SO BE READY!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**This Woman's Work...**_

**VAMPIRE HUNTER RAYNA CRUZ ARRIVES TO MYSTIC FALLS - **When complications from her supernatural pregnancy leave Caroline's life hanging in the balance, Stefan, Juliet, Ivan and Valerie take extreme measures to try and save her and the babies. Meanwhile, after uncovering a dark secret about Damon, Enzo uses the information to force Damon into helping him track down Rayna Cruz, a ruthless vampire hunter who is on the loose. However, when Damon's actions inadvertently put everyone he loves in Rayna's path, he is forced to make things right before it's too late.


	58. This Woman's Work

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Only a few more chapters till we're caught up!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"Hey, sorry it took so long getting back," Ivan apologized to Caroline as he walked into her hospital room. He shrugged off his coat as he put it on the chair that was there for guests. "But this guy in traffic was literally the slowest driver-"

He cut himself off as he realized that Caroline wasn't responding, and he looked over to see that Caroline was unconscious, and that her body was nearing full dessication. He felt panic bubble up inside of him as he bolted to her side, and he felt his heart drop as the dessication slowly spread to her face. "Caroline! Caroline!"

* * *

Stefan, Valerie, and I got to the hospital when Ivan told us that Caroline's body was nearing full dessication and she needed to have an emergency C-section to get the babies out of her before they killed her. I compelled the doctors to ignore the weirdness surrounding the pregnancy as they set Caroline up.

Ivan was growling when we got to him standing outside of the room that Caroline was in, and he kicked a chair down the hall.

Valerie winced as she held out a coffee cup to him. "Perhaps this isn't the best time to mention they ran out of cream?"

Ivan sighed, trying to keep his anger in check as he gave Valerie a nod in thanks. "Sorry."

"Don't be. You have every right to be upset," Valerie answered. She looked over at Stefan and I. "What did you tell them?"

"I just compelled the doctors to ignore all things supernatural about the surgery," I answered.

Valerie nodded. "Good. I compelled a doctor to shut down this entire wing, so it's just us. Didn't want a vampire C-section to draw too much attention. Has she regained consciousness?"

Ivan shook his head. "No, not yet."

"I gave her my magic. I stopped the desiccation," Valerie said in disbelief.

I sighed as I felt tears building up in my eyes. "I knew that she was sick. I knew that it was bad. But I left anyways."

"Jules, don't blame yourself," Valerie insisted. "Damon needed Stefan, and Stefan needed you. Damon would have gotten his head ripped off in a fight ring if the two of you hadn't intervened."

"My brother doesn't care about anyone or anything," Stefan growled. "He made that exceptionally clear yesterday."

"What does that mean?" Ivan asked.

I sighed as I looked over at Ivan. "Damon...Damon killed Elena." Ivan's eyes widened in disbelief as I continued. "He was having some sort of paranoid delusion because of what happened to him in the Phoenix stone and... and he killed her."

Ivan looked like someone had punched him in the gut. Even though he hadn't known Elena as long as the rest of us had, he and Elena really took each other in as siblings. He felt the hit of her death as hard as I had. "The son of a bitch," Ivan whispered. He then looked over at Caroline's unconscious form. "How am I supposed to tell Caroline?"

"Look, right now, all you need to worry about is inside that room," Valerie reminded him. "Caroline's going to have the babies. Everything will be fine. And all this will be over."

* * *

We all waited outside of the operating room as Ivan talked on the phone with Alaric. Ivan had called him when he first got to the hospital with Caroline, but when we were told she needed a C-Section, he called the father of the babies.

"I'm on my way to the airport now. I should be there in a few hours," I heard Alaric say to Ivan on the phone with my vampire hearing.

"You don't have a few hours," Ivan told him. "Caroline's stable, but the doctor needs to perform the C-section now."

"Okay, yeah, I-I-I-I-I get it," Alaric stuttered. "Just do what you have to do. But promise me you've got the best doctors in Virginia."

"I'll take care of her, Ric," Ivan assured him. "Just hurry back."

With that, the both of them hung up, and the four of us returned our attention back to Caroline.

"Scalpel?" the surgeon asked.

"Here you are, Doctor," the nurse said, handing the scalpel to the doctor. The only problem was, when the surgeon tried to cut open Caroline's body, the heart rate monitor showed all three of their heart rates increasing to dangerous levels. The surgeon tried to lower the scalpel to Caroline's stomach, but some sort of telekinetic force was stopping her from doing so.

"What's happening?" The surgeon asked to no one in particular.

"Doctor, are you all right?" the nurse asked worriedly.

All of a sudden, the scalpel flew out of the surgeon's hand, and she gasped loudly at the movement.

We all exchanged bewildered looks as Stefan voiced our thoughts out loud, "What the hell was that?"

The surgeon reached for more surgical tools but they all flew off of the table. That was the last straw, as Stefan, Ivan, Valerie and I ran into the operating room.

The surgeon tried to reach for another surgical too, but Valerie's hand flew out as she protested, "No, don't touch that!"

The surgeon brought their hand back, and all three heart rates returned to normal. Valerie looked at Caroline's stomach in bewilderment. "I think the babies want to stay where they can keep feeding off Caroline as a source of magic. I don't think they want to be born."

* * *

"What do you mean they don't want to come out?" Caroline demanded once she woke up.

It was Ivan, Stefan and I in the room with Caroline, as Valerie had gone to get the help of the other Heretics. She thought that maybe they could keep the babies under control long enough to get them out of Caroline.

"Valerie said the babies want to stay where the magic is. And right now, that magic is in your blood, which they're getting a steady stream of," Ivan explained to her.

Caroline took in a deep breath as she processed the information. "So what do we do?"

"Well, Valerie thinks that if she can channel enough magic outside of your body, the babies will be drawn to it instead of you, and they won't resist when the doctor tries to take them out of you," I answered.

Caroline scowled. "Funny, I didn't hear one medical word in all of that." She sighed. "Could someone just call Bonnie? I feel like she should be here."

"I'll call her," Stefan offered. "And we promise this will all be fine."

Caroline sighed again as she looked over at her boyfriend. "So, where's Dr. Valerie now?"

Ivan winced. "Getting help," he answered.

She lifted her head off of the pillow and looked at us suspiciously. "What do you mean 'help?'"

The three of us looked awkwardly at each other before I started, "Uh, Nora, Mary Louise and Beau..."

Caroline growled for real. "Oh, that is just perfectly reasonable- Putting my life and the lives of these babies into the hands of the people who tried to kill me!"

Ivan reached over and grabbed Caroline's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Caroline? I am not gonna let anything happen to you."

Caroline still didn't look convinced, but she drew a deep breath, trying to steel herself for what was to come.

* * *

"I can't believe those babies are about to actually be _born_," Kai growled in my ear.

I huffed. "I told you to get out of here before I figure out a way to get you out of here. Why are you so concerned about the babies, anyways?"

"Because if those brats live, then I won't be the leader of the Gemini coven," He answered.

"First of all, there _is_ no Gemini coven-you wiped them all out when you died," I reminded him. "And second of all, you're dead. You can't be their leader anyways. Now, get out of here." I turned my back on Kai as I stomped towards the window of the operating room.

Ivan was once again on the phone with Alaric, giving him updates about the birth of his children. Nora, Mary Louise, Valerie, and Beau were all inside the operating room as the surgeons worked calmly around them, still under my compulsion. They were chanting some sort of weird spell, trying to distract the babies.

"Wait, what do you mean, she's surrounded by Heretics? You said you were taking care of her!" I heard Alaric accuse Ivan.

Ivan sighed in frustration. "Yeah, and trust me, every possible way you're second-guessing me right now, I've already done it. This is our best chance."

"Listen. I know that this is totally crazy and not what anyone expected or asked for, okay?" Alaric said. "But what Caroline is doing for me... I am getting to have the family that I thought I lost forever. Please. Now, you make sure that nothing happens to them. Please."

"I will," Ivan said, dead serious. He loved Caroline. He also loved those babies. _And_ Alaric was his good friend. There was no way Ivan would let something happen to them.

Ivan hung up, leaving the sound of the Heretics to grow louder. "_Phesmatos sequitos in lucema infantesi mortuous..._" they chanted.

"Scalpel," the surgeon asked, and the nurse handed it to her as the Heretics continued chanting. "About to make the incision..." Once the surgeon made the incision, she looked over at the monitor. "Vitals are steady," She confirmed.

"I think it's working," I said excitedly, and Stefan smiled at me as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side.

Out of nowhere, Beau's neck started to bleed, and he looked horrified when he touched his neck. When he brought his hand away from his neck, it revealed an X-shaped scar.

"Oh, my God, Beau," Nora breathed once she looked away from Caroline and over at Beau.

Valerie looked over at Stefan, Ivan, and I in horror. "It's his scar," She said.

Before any of us could say anything else, Nora's phone rang, and she answered it.

"Nora?" Bonnie's voice said on the other side.

"Did you let Rayna get the Phoenix Sword?" Nora asked aggressively.

"I didn't let her," Bonnie answered in confusion. "How do you know?"

"Beau's scar opened up, which means she's coming for him," Nora replied. "And she'll never stop coming for him. Once she kills him, she'll go after every other vampire in her path."

"I need you to calm down. Where are you?" Bonnie asked.

"In the hospital," Nora answered in an annoyed tone. "With your friend, helping deliver her babies."

"Wait, what?" Bonnie stammered. Obviously, Stefan must have forgotten to call Bonnie and let her know that Caroline was having the babies.

"We're all in danger, Bonnie," Nora pressed on. "Beau's scar is the mark from her Sword, and it will lead Rayna Cruz straight to him. Once you've been marked, she'll chase you to the ends of the earth until your soul is back in that stone. Once she gets Beau, she'll go after any other vampire in her path, and right now this hospital's full of them."

With that, Nora hung up and returned to the rest of the group as the surgeon gave instructions to the surgical technician.

"Beau, don't despair. We'll get you away from here. Far away," Nora assured him, and Beau nodded a little, as if desperately wanting to believe Nora.

I frowned when I realized what this meant. "But Beau is the only one marked by Rayna. He can just go off by himself."

Mary Louise scoffed. "And leave him to be hunted alone? We have to protect each other. We stay together."

Nora, Beau, and Mary Louise all moved to leave, but Ivan pushed his way to the front door and blocked their path. Even though his magic were nowhere near the Heretic's level, his love for Caroline was more powerful. "You're not leaving," he growled. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you."

Mary Louise sighed impatiently. "Look, you love Caroline and you don't want her to die. I understand, because that is the way I feel about Nora and she will- we all will- if you do not get out of our way!"

I joined Ivan when it looked like they were gonna overpower him. "Listen, just stay. Stefan and I will do everything in our power to protect you from this bitch hunter."

Mary Louise scoffed again. "You don't stand a chance against her! None of us do!"

Valerie showed up behind them. "She's right. You have to let them go. They can take Beau and draw Rayna away from us. The doctors are nearly finished. I'll do what I can on my own."

Nora walked over to Valerie and gave her a concerned look. "You can't stay here. Come with us."

Valerie sighed as she shook her head. "These babies deserve a chance. I can give that to them."

"They could drain you, Val," Nora reminded her. "You could _die_."

Valerie stood her ground. "I have to try." Then, she walked over to Beau. She wrapped him up into a hug before saying, "Remember, Never stop running. Not for a moment."

With that, all of the Heretics left, leaving Valerie to return to the operating room to continue the spell. Ivan went into the operating room with Valerie, taking her hand and trying his best to copy her spell. Even though he was still just a Traveler, he was a Christos Traveler, so he also had some access to traditional magic.

Suddenly, Stefan's phone rang. He groaned when he saw who was calling, and I peeked over his arm to see that it was Damon. He put the phone on speaker as he said, "Kind of a bad time."

"It's about to get a lot worse. Hottie Huntress has the Sword and she's coming right for you," Damon told him.

"Yeah. Heard you were the one who gave it to her," Stefan retorted. "Impeccable timing, considering Caroline literally couldn't be any more helpless right now."

Damon sighed guiltily. "I'm working on that."

Stefan, finally fed up with his brother, said, "You know what? Don't bother, Damon. Just sit there and do nothing before you find a way to make this an even bigger problem." He hung up the phone before Damon could say anything else.

"Wow," I said. "That was a little harsh. But not undeserving."

Stefan and I walked into the operating room, where Ivan and Valerie were still chanting and the surgeons were still working. We stood there for a while, just watching them work until we heard footsteps, and I looked over my shoulder and sighed in relief when I saw Bonnie running over.

"She's here," Bonnie told us, and we all knew she was talking about Rayna. Valerie and Ivan tried not to let that hinder them as they continued chanting.

"How is she?" Bonnie asked.

"They're about to take the babies out," I responded. "Bonnie, what's wrong?"

Bonnie hesitated for a moment and gave Valerie an apologetic look before she spoke, "...Beau didn't get away."

Valerie's eyes widened in horror and shock, and she shook her head in denial. "No. No, that's not possible."

I felt for Valerie. I had lost enough family members to know how much it hurt. "Valerie, I'm so sorry," I said to her.

Valerie paused for a moment to process the news before she replied, "And what about the others?"

"I don't know," Bonnie answered. "But I think Rayna's somewhere inside this hospital."

"Where's Damon?" Stefan automatically asked.

The lights started flickering, meaning that something was wrong. "Not to make things worse, but my magic doesn't work on her, and I don't think Damon can take her alone," Bonnie said. She gave Stefan a pointed look. "Stefan, you have to go. I'll stay and help Valerie. Damon needs you."

Angrily, Stefan practically yelled, "I don't care what Damon needs!"

Bonnie looked horrified by Stefan's reaction, and she stared him down. "I don't know what he did to make you hate him, but he is so determined to make things right, he's gonna get himself killed."

I looked over at Stefan, who still looked torn. Heaving a sigh, I stepped forward towards the door. "Stefan, you might not care about Damon, but somehow I still do. I'm _still_ going to keep my promise to Elena. I owe her that. And I'm going to go help Damon even if you won't."

As I turned to run out the door, it suddenly opened, and Alaric burst through. "What the hell is going on here?" He demanded.

I didn't answer as I looked over at Stefan. "Now, you have two choices. You can send me out to save Damon by myself, or you can come help me." I held out my hand. "For once, Stefan, choose right."

Finally, Stefan lifted his hand and put it in mine, and the two of us ran out of the operating room hand in hand.

I heard fighting noises in the hall adjacent to the one we were just in getting louder, meaning that was where Damon and Rayna were fighting. Just as we got there, Damon was laying on the ground with Rayna pinning him down and holding the sword high above his heart.

Before I could move to do anything, Stefan shoved me backwards and vamp sped in front of Damon, causing Rayna to stab him in the shoulder with her blade, just missing Stefan's heart.

I felt myself being filled with horror as I realized what happened. Damon must have realized it too, because we both said, "Stefan!" though Damon's was more in disbelief and mine was more a scream of grief.

Stefan looked over at a horrified Damon, tears in his eyes, and gave him a terrified look after he saw the X-shaped cut on his left breast from where he was stabbed by Rayna. Damon looked absolutely devastated by what had just happened, and when I finally gained my wits, I noticed that Rayna had fled.

"I'll see you, brother," Stefan whispered, and he vamp sped out of the hospital.

* * *

Bonnie's magic was stronger than Ivan's, so he let Bonnie take over his position as he stood off to the side and held Caroline's hand. Even though she was unconscious, he somehow knew that she knew that he was holding his hand. He had even given her a mind dream of the two of them having a picnic under the stars, just forgetting about the messed up lives they were living and being two young adults in love.

"Okay, now's our chance. The first baby is ready," the surgeon said. She struggled for a moment before lifting the first baby up and out, holding it up so that Alaric could see. Alaric gaped in shock at the sight of his newborn daughter as one of the nurses took the baby to clean her and weigh her, allowing the surgeon to birth the second baby.

"And now for baby number two," the surgeon said as she got back to work.

Ivan stared in wonder after the first baby, and then he looked over at Alaric, giving him a hopeful expression while the surgeon pulls out the second baby. Once again she gave Alaric a look at her before handing her off to another nurse to check out. Alaric smiled, the most genuine smile Ivan had even seen him give, and he couldn't help but smile the same way.

The surgeon brings the first baby over, having been cleaned up a bit and wrapped up in a blanket, handing her over to Alaric to hold. She was sleeping soundly, having stopped her initial crying.

"Is she okay?" Ivan asked from his spot beside Caroline.

Alaric smiled, looking over at Ivan, Bonnie, and Valerie. "Yeah, She's okay. They're both okay."

* * *

Ivan was blotting Caroline's damp forehead with a washcloth, Bonnie sitting on one side of Caroline while Ivan sat on the other. She stirred, and Ivan stopped for a second as she opened her eyes. When Caroline was awake enough, she immediately started asking questions. "What happened? Are they out? Are they okay?"

Ivan couldn't help but smile. This was one of the reasons he had fallen in love with Caroline. Her concern, her care, her love for others. "You're fine, the babies are healthy, everything's fine."

"Alaric's with them," Bonnie added. "He took them to the nursery to get them checked out."

"But they're okay?" Caroline wanted to confirm.

Ivan grinned at her as he lifted her hand to his lips. He pressed a little kiss to her knuckles as he said, "They're better than okay. Caroline, they're beautiful."

Caroline sighed in relief, but then noticed that something wasn't quite right with this picture. "Where's Jules? And Stefan? What happened?"

Ivan and Bonnie exchanged looks, making a face that made Caroline know that she wasn't going to like the answer.

* * *

Once Stefan took off, I vamp sped after him. I came to a stop in front of him, cutting off his running. We had made it all the way to his car. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing," I demanded. "Where are you going?"

"Wherever Rayna isn't," He responded. "She's going to hunt me down and I have to get out of here and as far away from the people that I care about as fast as possible."

"Then I'm coming with you," I said simply.

Stefan made a frustrated noise. "Jules, you can't come with me."

"And why not?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. "I've stuck by you through worse. I've been on a summer road trip with you _and_ the Original Hybrid. Running from a vampire hunter should be child's play compared to this."

Stefan growled. "This isn't a joke, Jules!"

"You don't think I know that?" I thundered. "I made a _vow_ that day, Stefan. A vow that I would stand by you forever. Now, nowhere in that vow did it say for me to stay by your side when a crazy vampire hunter marks you with her sword and becomes obsessed with hunting you down, but it was definitely implied."

"Jules-" Stefan tried to argue again, but I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up off of the ground easily with my vampire strength.

"Listen here, Salvatore," I growled. "I cannot count how many times I've lost you and I'm not about to add another time to that. Now, you can fight me and try to leave, but as long as Rayna hunts you down, I'll hunt you down too. Now," I dropped him. "All this arguing is wasting time we _could_ be spending running away from Rayna. What'll it be?"

* * *

Once we got into Stefan's car, he drove like a bat out of hell. His phone started ringing, and I grabbed Stefan's phone and put it on speaker.

"Where are you?" Damon asked.

I sighed. "Not where we're supposed to be, with my best friend, who, by the way, just _gave birth_."

"Instead, I'm running from a hunter who won't stop chasing me until she's put down," Stefan added. He sighed in anger and frustration before he continued, "Why did you hand over that sword, Damon?"

Completely ignoring the question, Damon blurted, "Elena's alive."

"_What_?" Stefan and I both said at the same time, sharing stunned looks. "What do you mean?" I asked.

Damon sighed. "Long story with a hell of a punch line. I didn't kill her, guys. She's alive." I could hear the smile in his voice. "I got a second chance, brother. And I will fix this. I will. I will kill that Huntress with my bare hands if I have to, and I will bring you back here, I promise. I promise you."

Stefan looked slightly relieved by what Damon just said. "I'm gonna hold you to that," He said, and we hung up.

I took out my own phone and placed a call to Caroline, though I didn't put it on speaker. This was a conversation I wanted to have with just Caroline. She picked up on the first ring. "How are you?" I immediately asked before she could say anything.

She sighed on the other end. "Exhausted. Hungry. Lonely."

I sighed too. "I'm sorry. I know how we all always talked about how we were going to be there on the day that we all had babies and that I would be the first person to hold your baby after you did but...but running was the only way Stefan could keep you all safe."

Caroline sniffled. "I know," She said thickly. "But I don't know why you had to go with him."

I felt my own throat becoming thick with emotion. "He's my husband, Caroline," I answered simply. Before she could protest further, I said, "I'm going to come back. You're my person, and I'm not going to just abandon you. As soon as we can figure out a way to get this hunter off of us, I'll come back, and you'll be safe, and Ivan will be safe, and your babies will be safe." We both giggled deliriously, and I sniffled a bit as I said, "I should go. I love you, Care."

"I love you too, Jules," She said, and we both hung up.

* * *

Caroline sadly hung up the phone and wiped away her tears, trying to pull herself together after all of the stressful events of the last few days. Ivan squeezed her hand, having sat beside her the entire time she had talked to her best friend. Ivan knew that the one person that Caroline loved most in the world was Juliet, and that it was killing her not having her best friend there on the day that she gave birth. "Juliet doesn't break promises," He reminded her, kissing the back of her hand. "She'll come back."

As Caroline nodded, Alaric walked into the room with the twins laying side-by-side in a wheeled cradle from the nursery. Caroline gasped and gaped in shock at the sight of them. "Oh, my God..." She breathed.

Alaric smiled warmly at her. "You want to hold 'em?"

Caroline looked over at Ivan, completely ready to say yes, but she paused. "Are you sure that's okay?"

Alaric nodded. "Yeah, Valerie said it shouldn't be a problem. Something about the umbilical cord... I don't know. I was a little distracted."

Alaric reached down into the cradle and lifted the first little girl out, and Caroline looked at her in awe as she cradled her gently in her arms, gasping in shock at how perfect she was.

"This is Josie, in honor of their mother," Alaric explained as he went over and picked up the other twin. He cradled them in his own arms so that Caroline could see her. And this one..." Alaric smiled and laughed under his breath. "This is Elizabeth... In honour of your mother."

Caroline nearly gave herself whiplash as she turned her head to look at Alaric. She smiled at him as she started to cry and laugh happily. She then looked over at Ivan, who was giving her the biggest smile she had ever seen him give to her as his gaze flickered down to Josie.

She looked over at Alaric, a little hesitant as she asked, "Can Ivan hold Elizabeth?"

"Yes, of course," Alaric nodded as he went over to the other side of the bed where Ivan was. "Ivan helped take care of them too. Valerie told me how you helped her perform the spell so that they could be born."

Gently, Alaric put Elizabeth in Ivan's arms, and he couldn't help but marvel at the sight of her. He looked back over at Josie, before looking back down at Elizabeth. This was probably the closest he was ever going to get when it came to feeling like a father, and even though he wasn't the actual father, he was going to soak up the moment as much as he could as he stared at the little girl sucking gently on her lip as she dozed.

He looked back over at Caroline, who was watching him in pure happiness. Carefully, mindful of Josie in her arms, she leaned over and kissed Ivan. They pulled apart, and both looked back down at the babies in their arms.

A memory clicked in Caroline's head, and she looked over at Alaric. "Ric?"

He nodded for her to continue as Ivan handed Elizabeth back to her father. "Yeah?"

She fiddled with the edge's of Josie's blanket. "I kind of promised something to Juliet, back when I thought she was dead. I promised her I would give one of the babies her name as their middle name."

Alaric smiled at the thought of his adoptive daughter. "Elizabeth Juliet Saltzman," He said aloud, and he looked at Ivan and Caroline. "It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Caroline smiled, looking down at the newly named Elizabeth Juliet Saltzman. "Yeah. It does."

* * *

Stefan pushed his foot down as hard as he could on the gas, trying to get as far and fast away from Rayna as he could as he drove down the road.

Noticing his tension, Juliet reached over and put her own hand on top of his hand that was resting near the gear shift. Her engagement ring and wedding band glistened in the sun as she squeezed his hand tightly.

And with that squeeze, Stefan knew that he wasn't alone.

* * *

**TBC...**

**CROSSOVER TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!**

**WHO'S EXCITED TO SEE JULIET AND KLAUS REUNITED?**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Moonlight on the Bayou...**_

**AN EXCITING CROSSOVER WITH THE ORIGINALS — **In order to lure a vengeful vampire hunter named Rayna Cruz away from their friends in Mystic Falls, Stefan and Juliet head to New Orleans, where Valerie has learned of a safe house that can protect Stefan. Once there, they come face to face with Klaus Mikaelson, who soon becomes suspicious of his old friends' unexpected arrival in his city. Also, Juliet meets Davina Claire, a witch who can help her get rid of Kai but with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, Enzo, who is working on behalf of a mysterious organization called The Armory, approaches Damon and Bonnie with a plan that could protect Stefan from Rayna. Finally, after learning that Alaric has decided to leave for Dallas with the twins immediately, Caroline offers to accompany them on the trip and finds herself contemplating her own future in Mystic Falls.


	59. Moonlight on the Bayou (1)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **CROSSOVER TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

"Pass me a bloodbag, will you?" Stefan asked, and I reached behind me into the small bag of bloodbags that I had thrown together at our five minute stop back home. I took two of them and handed one to Stefan while keeping one to myself.

I grabbed the little nozzle thing and stuck it in my mouth and took a big gulp. At first, I hated the metallic taste of the blood-it just reminded me of who I was now. But now, I was grateful for it. It gave me an energy boost that I never thought was possible. I swallowed a couple more gulps before finally noticing that Stefan was staring at me. "What?" I asked, licking a couple drops of blood off of my lips.

Stefan shook his head at me. "I just never thought you would handle this so well. I think you're the first vampire I've ever seen to not go off the rails."

I smiled. "I think what helps motivate me is lots of these," I held up my blood bag. "And that I was a human once too, and someone took my life away from me. I would hate to take it from someone else."

Stefan nodded. "I love that about you," He said to me.

I smiled at him as my phone rang. I put my blood bag in my lap and grabbed it from the cup holder. I swiped right when I saw that it was Valerie calling me and turned on speakerphone. "Hey, Valerie."

"Hi," She responded. "Where are you two?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. "South Georgia, I think? Stefan and I ditched his car and passed Grantville off the I-85."

"Okay, you're about to come upon Highway 27," She told us. "Take it north. Eventually, you'll connect with the I-20 and want to take that west."

"And where is this leading us, exactly?" Stefan asked.

"A safe house that's been imbued with a magical disruption spell. Even the strongest magic can't penetrate its walls, which means Rayna Cruz's sword can't track Stefan there," Valerie said as Stefan came to a stop in front of a Quik-Stop. "Did you find 27 yet?"

"No, I just pulled over at a Quik-Stop in the middle of nowhere," Stefan said as the two of us got out of the car.

"Tell me you're joking," Valerie said in frustration.

"My cell phone's almost dead. I need a charger," Stefan insisted.

"Stefan, Jules, that's a mistake," Valerie told us. "Get back in your car. Stefan, you can't stop moving ever. Stefan, are you there?"

My phone began beeping, showing that my phone battery was dying now. "Hello?" I tried, taking my phone off of speaker and putting it to my ear. "Valerie? Hello?"

We had just gotten to the cash register as Stefan said, "Hi, I need to buy a charger for my phone?"

The young man turned around to look at the wall of chargers. "Okay, we've got the brick charger... the adapter for your car... This one's solar powered, pretty neat..."

I nudged Stefan, giving him a look that told him we were in a hurry. He picked up one of the boxes without really looking at it. "That's fine. How much?"

"That'll be $22.50," the cashier answered.

Stefan reached for his wallet, but he stopped mid way, and I followed his gaze to the surveillance camera footage on the flat screen TV behind the counter. To our horror, it was Rayna, parking her motorcycle and taking off her helmet. "Stefan," I said in a panicked tone, and Stefan quickly grabbed my hand as we walked towards the front door. We ignored the cashier calling after us as we reached the front door, and all of a sudden, a sword hit the door and got its blade wedged in the glass. My heart dropped as I recognized it to be Rayna's sword.

Stefan and I looked at each other, and we both got the same idea as we moved the ice machine in front of the door using our joined vampire speed. We vamp sped back to his car, and he immediately threw the car into drive. We sped away, the tires squealing behind us.

* * *

"Ivan, you don't have to spoon feed me," Caroline insisted as he held up the spoon filled with pudding.

"You just had major surgery to deliver two babies," Ivan countered. "Let me take care of this."

Caroline rolled her eyes, but she allowed Ivan to spoon it into her mouth. She was just swallowing it as Alaric walked in with a diaper bag over his shoulder.

She smiled at him as he came to a stop in front of her and Ivan. "Mmm, must be time for another check-up!"

Ivan and Caroline chuckled a bit, but Alaric looked dead serious. "Actually, there's something I need to talk to you two about..." He said.

Caroline and Ivan shared worried looks before they looked back at Alaric. "What's going on?" Ivan asked.

Alaric sighed. "I'm moving to Dallas. I'm leaving today."

Caroline gaped at him in shock. "What?! No, Ric, you still need a house, and a nanny, and the right school district..."

"I don't care," Alaric said. "After I saw their little faces yesterday, everything changed."

"Is this about that psycho huntress?" Caroline wondered. "Because you can rest assured that she is very far away from here, pursuing my equally far from here best friend and her husband."

Alaric sighed again. "No, it's not about her, okay? It's about Jo... And the promise I made to her to leave town after we got married. And we know how that turned out, okay? So, I'm not making that mistake twice. And certainly not with my kids."

"Do you know how hard it is to travel with one newborn, let alone two?" She asked him. "Two car seats, two feeding schedules, crying in surround-sound, not to mention the driving part."

"I know," Alaric nodded. "And stopping every ninety minutes. I get it. Which is why I've hired a nurse to come with me."

"A nurse?" Ivan asked.

"Who? Frankie with the heart murmur? Or Jarica, the perpetual boyfriend-texter?" Caroline went on.

Alaric hesitated before answeing. "...Jarica."

Caroline scoffed. "Come on!"

"Do you have a better idea?" Alaric pressed.

Caroline gestured to herself and Ivan. "Us! We're the better idea."

"Uhh, but you just... got through major surgery. You just had a C-section," Alaric reminded Caroline. "And I'm pretty sure the last thing Ivan wants is to sit in the backseat of a car with two crying newborns."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "And I'm all healed up. That is the one and only perk of a vampire pregnancy." She put her hand on Ivan's arm. "And it's not like Ivan has vampire hearing. He'll be fine. Right?"

Ivan nodded. "Of course. I don't mind helping you and the babies get to Dallas, Ric."

Caroline looked back over at Alaric. "So I can either sit here, alone, freaking out that my best friend is somewhere in this country trying to outrun a huntress that will stop at nothing to kill her husband, or I can be useful. It's up to you."

* * *

I secured the large bandage over Stefan's still-unhealed X-shaped wound from Rayna's sword. "Okay, if anyone asks, it's a healing tattoo," I told him, and the two of us strolled right into the St. James Infirmary in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

We headed straight for the bar, and we sat down. I sighed deeply, putting my chin in my hand as I said, "I'm absolutely starving. How about you?"

Stefan didn't get the chance to respond as a shot was slid down the table towards the two of us, and we both looked to see who the person who gave us the shot was.

My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the man to be none other than Klaus Mikaelson.

He smirked devilishly at the two of us. "Welcome to New Orleans, my old friends."

"Klaus!" I said happily as I pushed myself off the bar stool and went over to Klaus. I practically leaped into his waiting arms as I gave him a tight hug. "We're in New Orleans, I should have guessed that we'd see you."

"I'm very glad to see you," He said to me, and he looked back over at Stefan. "So. Stefan Salvatore and Juliet Gilbert in the Crescent City. This ought to be very good, or entertainingly bad."

Stefan and I looked at each other for a second. We didn't think we'd run into anyone we knew, so we didn't come up with a cover story. Instead, I said to Klaus as I turned back to face him, "Belated honeymoon. You know Mystic Falls-busy, busy, busy! We never actually got the chance to go on a real, proper, honeymoon, so we're starting off by touring the U.S."

"Ah, yes, the two of you are married now, aren't you?" Klaus asked. "And I wasn't even invited to the wedding?"

I shrugged a little. "Don't feel bad; no one was invited to the wedding."

Stefan pointed at me in agreement. "What she said." He quickly cleared his throat as he said, "So... How are Elijah, and, uh, whoever else you've brought back from the dead?"

Klaus shrugged. "Oh, you know the Mikaelsons. Never a dull moment."

Stefan's phone buzzed, but he turned it off as he checked the caller ID. "So, of all the gin joints, you pick ours..." Klaus started. "Four walls invulnerable to the magic of those pesky locator spells. Bit of a coincidence, isn't it?"

"Damon's looking for me, and I don't want to be found," Stefan supplied. "I figure you, of all people, can relate to family drama."

Klaus smirked as he looked over at the bartender. "Sylvia, this is an old friend. Please keep his cup brimming."

"Mmm. Cute old friend," Sylvia said. "Where have you been hiding him?"

I moved so that I was standing on the other side of Klaus, but beside Stefan. "With his wife," I snapped, letting her know that yes, Stefan was taken.

Klaus cleared his throat as he tapped me gently on the back. "Now, now, love, retract the claws," He told me, and I restrained myself a little. He turned back to Sylvia as he said, "Quaint little place called Mystic Falls. Home of the mining fires that prompted a town-wide evacuation. It was very noble of you to stand up for the human faction as you did, in such uncharacteristically sweeping, dramatic fashion."

"I did have some help," Stefan said.

Klaus looked over at me. "Did you help him?"

I shook my head. "Naw, it was Caroline. I couldn't have helped him-at least at the time."

"What do you mean, 'at the time'?" Klaus questioned.

I sighed, before quickly checking that the coast was clear. Once I had, I looked back over at Klaus and let my vampire face show, red eyes, black veins under the eyes, and fangs and all.

Klaus's face immediately hardened and he pushed himself off of the bar stool. "Who's done this to you? Let me know their name, I will tear them apart myself."

I shook my head at him. "Calm down, Klaus," I told him. "You can't do anything. The guy's dead now. Stefan killed him."

Klaus seemed to have calmed down a little, and he sank back into his seat. "Well, tell me what else has been going on in Mystic Falls."

Stefan and I looked at each other with wary expressions on our faces.

This was gonna take a while.

* * *

"What do you mean you don't know where Rayna is? She's wherever Stefan is," Caroline said on the phone to Matt. She, Ivan, Alaric, and Josie and Lizzie were on the way to Dallas. Caroline was in the passenger seat while Ivan was in the back, entertaining the babies as Alaric drove. They were crying, and Ivan and Caroline were trying their best to get them to stop.

"No one knows where he is, either. He's not taking anyone's calls, and I can't triangulate his cell phone without at least knowing-" Matt started.

Caroline cut him off as the babies got louder. "What? Sorry, I'm in a literal bell jar of baby noises."

"I think they need to eat," Ivan deduced.

Alaric nodded in agreement. "Are you guys hungry?"

"No," Caroline said. "Yes, uh, we should stop."

"Caroline- hello?" Matt said, regaining her attention.

"I'm here. What's the plan?" She asked.

"If I can narrow the search, we have a chance, but until I know the general vicinity of either of them, I have nothing to track," Matt said.

"I may be able to help you with that," a new voice said, and Caroline rolled her eyes as she recognized it.

"Let me guess- Valerie's here to save the day," Caroline sighed.

"Let me call you back," Matt said, and the two hung up.

* * *

They reached a diner outside of Mystic Falls, and Alaric was sitting at a booth with Ivan and the babies.

Caroline huffed as she walked back to their table. "What kind of diner runs out of ketchup?"

Alaric and Ivan both immediately shushed her and gestured to the babies, who were sleeping soundly in their car seats.

"Shhh! We just got them to stop crying," Alaric informed her.

"Wow!" Caroline said in an impressed tone. "Ooh, good. Now we can talk about nannies."

The three of them laughed at Caroline's overachieving nature, and she opened her mouth to talk, "Okay, obviously I thought we'd have more time, so none of them are perfect, but I rated them out of 100, based on their age, GPA, and experience. You know, I figured you'd want someone intelligent but not overly ambitious..."

Just then, the babies both started crying. ": No, no, no, no, no... Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh... Okay, look, I-I'm gonna take Elizabeth for a little walk. Do you two mind watching Josie?"

Caroline looked around the room at all the fellow customers to make sure the babies weren't disturbing them as Alaric got up, grabbed Lizzie's car seat, and left to walk with her while giving apologetic looks to the nearby patrons. Caroline turned to look at Josie and pleaded with her, looking overwhelmed. "Ooh, why are you crying?"

Ivan got up and slid into the booth next to Caroline, and she shifted over so that Ivan was sitting on the aisle side. "She just needs to be held," Ivan said as he reached down to pick her up.

"Ivan, no, don't!" She said. "What if she cries harder?"

Amazingly, Josie immediately stopped crying as Ivan cradled her in his arms. She was quiet for a moment, and then she drifted into a peaceful sleep. Caroline looked from Josie to Ivan in wonder. "Wow. How did you do that?"

Ivan grinned at her. "I'm good with babies."

"Clearly," Caroline said, rolling her eyes, but she was beaming at him.

* * *

Klaus was starting to get more suspicious of Stefan and I both being there, so I pressured Klaus into giving me a proper tour of New Orleans, or of at least the French Quarter. Stefan was a little wary of leaving me alone with Klaus, but I could handle myself around Klaus.

"So," I said as I hooked my arm through Klaus's as we roamed the streets. Live music was playing and the aroma of food filled my nose as we strolled. "All I can think about right now is that phone call."

"What phone call?" Klaus asked.

I nudged him. "You know, the phone call that you left me after you left for New Orleans? The one you sent to make me feel guilty?"

* * *

_ I was still pretty angry at Klaus for just up and leaving to New Orleans. He promised that he would be around as long as I needed him, and I still needed him. He was the only one I felt safe with, especially since Elena turned off her humanity._

_ He had called me earlier, and I was still so upset with him that I didn't answer it. However, when I checked my phone again, there was a message._

_ The loud sound of jazz music and people was pretty much the only thing I could focus on at first, and then I heard Klaus's voice. I could practically _hear_ the smile in his voice as he said, "Juliet. I'm standing in one of my favourite places in the world, surrounded by food, music, art, culture...and all I can think about is how much I want to show it to you. Maybe one day you'll let me."_

_ I felt tears building up in my eyes, and a single tear drop slid down my cheek as I lowered the phone from my ear, closing the screen as I stared ahead, thinking of how much Klaus truly did love me._

* * *

"Oh, you mean _that_ phone call," he laughed. "Yes, I intended it for you to feel guilty."

"I can't imagine what would have happened if I had actually picked up when you called," I said to him as we continued walking.

"You probably would have yelled at me for trying to guilt trip you," he offered.

I laughed too. "You're probably right." I looked around the city. "So. What do you do for fun around here?"

"Oh, you know, just the usual," he said casually. "Painting, mingling, killing people."

"So basically the same thing that you used to do in Mystic Falls you just do here," I said plainly.

Klaus grinned at me. "Exactly." Then his face softened. "So is it everything you imagined?" he asked. "New Orleans? I mean, I know it's not Mardi Gras, but still. You had always wanted to see New Orleans."

I leaned my head on his arm. "It's perfect, Klaus. Especially since I'm getting a tour of the city from its very own King."

Klaus chuckled. "You will never let me forget the words I said at your graduation, will you?"

I shook my head. "Nope." I looked over my shoulder to see a couple, a mother and a father, with the mother bouncing a baby on her hip and the father grinning down at the two of them, and I looked over at Klaus. "Klaus?"

"Yes?" he asked.

I stopped walking, and so did he. "There's someone I have yet to meet. Is it okay if I meet them?"

"Who?" he wondered.

I gave him a gentle smile.

* * *

"I must warn you, I don't think she's had her nap today, so she might be in a foul mood," Klaus said as we strolled through the compound where he lived.

"That's okay," I waved away as we walked up the steps of the compound. It seemed like someone was there, but no one was in the nursery as Klaus gently opened the door and gestured for me to walk inside.

I did, and I felt my heart pound with anticipation as I stopped in front of the crib, and what I saw inside took my breath away and made me break out into a huge smile.

Hope Mikaelson was standing in her crib, drooling and eventually squealing when she saw her father over my shoulder. I couldn't help but cover my mouth in awe and amazement as Klaus went over to his daughter. She reached her arms out for him, and he picked her up before walking over to me.

"Juliet," he started. "This is Hope. Hope, this is Juliet," he introduced, and he shifted Hope so that he was holding her out to me.

I looked from Hope over to Klaus. It was really just enough for me to see her, but to hold her too?

He nodded, as if answering my question, and I carefully put my hands under Hope and shifted her fully in my arms. Her blue eyes stared at me in wonder, but she started cooing as she put her hand on my cheek.

"Oh Klaus," I breathed as I gently swayed her from side to side. I looked over at him, who was beaming as he looked at the two of us. "She's absolutely beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so," he told me. "I can't have the godmother of my child not thinking she's cute."

I snapped my head over at Klaus, not sure if I had heard him right. "You made me her godmother?"

"Of course I did," he responded with a simple shrug. "I trust you with my own life, and now my daughter has become my life."

I smiled at him before looking back down to Hope, who was giggling as she stared at me. I held on to one of her little hands, and I pressed a kiss to the back of it.

I felt Klaus's eyes hot on me, so I looked over at him in slight annoyance. "You don't have to worry Klaus. I may be a vampire now, but I have a thing about feeding off of kids."

"I'm just surprised you've shown such restraint," he said simply.

"Well, I could never feed off of something so precious," I cooed as I lifted Hope in the air a little. "Ugh, I can't believe how adorable she is."

"What happened, Juliet?" Klaus asked quietly, and I brought Hope back down and into my arms as he looked over at me. "Who turned you?"

I sighed as I walked over to stand next to Klaus. "My mother-in-law's crazy boyfriend. He force fed me his blood, then compelled me to kill myself when he said so, and then compelled me to forget all that. And when the time came to have me kill myself, he didn't show any restraint." I sighed before shaking my head and shifting Hope in my arms. "I don't want to talk about it anymore, especially in front of a baby." I smiled down at her. "You know, I'm surprised that I wasn't Hope's mother," I said, before looking at Klaus. "Do you remember all the sex we had?"

Klaus smirked. "Very well. And I'm just as surprised as you are, frankly."

"Well, in some alternate universe, I probably _am_ Hope's mother," I wondered. "But in all honesty, I wouldn't have named my daughter Hope. Like, I get how it's symbolic, but I think I would name my own daughter Charlotte."

"Charlotte?" he repeated, and I nodded. "As in the spider?"

"Hey, Charlotte's Web was my favourite book as a kid," I defended myself as I looked back down at Hope, who squealed in delight as she touched my nose with her little hand.

"For the record, Juliet," Klaus started, and I looked over at him. "You would have made the perfect mother."

I felt tears threatening as I looked back down at Hope, who was leaning her head on my shoulder and sucking on her fingers. "Thank you," I said to him as I put my hand on Hope's head and cuddled her to me. "Hey, Hope," I whispered in her ear. I pressed a soft kiss to her perfect blonde head. "It's Aunt Jules. And Aunt Jules loves you. She'll always love you."

* * *

"I really needed that," I said as we walked through the streets of the French Quarter again. "She really is perfect, Klaus."

"Oh, I know," he said, and he wrapped his arm around my back and hugged me to his side. "This really has been a good day."

I nodded against his chest. "I know. Right now, all I'm thinking of is if I had actually accepted your graduation present."

* * *

_Caroline asked me to pack away the last of the graduation gowns, and I agreed. She and her Mom had a graduation dinner reservation, and even though she had pleaded me to come, I declined the offer. _

_ I had just put down the last gown when I heard footsteps behind me, and I smiled to myself as I realized who it was. I turned around, and I was pleased to see that I was right. "So how did you manage to get here so fast?" I asked._

_ "I was already on my way," Klaus answered as he strolled over to me. He reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of stationary paper. "I received your graduation announcement."_

_ I sighed in relief. "Good. I was worried that it wouldn't make it to you on time."_

_ He smirked at me. "So even after I left you after you begged me to stay, you still sent me an invitation to one of the biggest days of your life?"_

_ I was suddenly very interested in the design of my perfectly manicured nails. "Well...you're my family," I finally answered as I looked back up at him. "I wanted you to be there. I...I _needed_ you to be there."_

_ Klaus genuinely smiled at me before he reached into his coat pocket once again. "Well, I couldn't just come without a present," he said as he held out the envelope to me._

_ "Oh no, you didn't have to get me a present," I said even as I reached forward and took the envelope out of his hand. I broke the seal as I continued, "Really, all I needed you to be here." I had looked down and focused on opening the seal halfway through the sentence, and I could hear Klaus laugh at me as I pulled the card out first._

Please be cash_, I thought to myself as I opened the card. All it said was "Congrats, graduate!" with a "Love, Klaus" added, but I didn't focus on it as I reached into the envelope and pulled out a slip of paper. It took me a few seconds to realize what it actually _was_._

_ "A plane ticket?" I wondered, looking back up at Klaus._

_ "More specifically a first class ticket," he corrected. "Say what you will on how I treat people, but I treat the people that I care about very nicely."_

_ "But..." I looked back down at the ticket and better inspected it. "This is a first class ticket to New Orleans."_

_ He nodded. "I know."_

_ I looked back up at him. "Why did you get me a first class ticket to New Orleans?"_

_ He lifted his hands. "Is it not obvious, Juliet?" he asked, and when I didn't answer, he said, "I want you to join me in New Orleans."_

_ "Join you? In New Orleans?" I repeated dumbly._

_ He nodded again. "Leave Mystic Falls behind. You've graduated high school, you're a grown woman, there is nothing tethering you to this town anymore, Juliet. And...you're very special to me. So I would rather you be in New Orleans with me rather than have you here without knowing if I'll ever see you again. So, please. This ticket is for a plane that leaves tonight. Please board it with me."_

_ I took a few deep breaths as I looked from Klaus, to the ticket, then back to Klaus. Finally, I whispered, "I can't."_

_ Klaus deflated. "Why not?"_

_ I gulped as I held the ticket in my hand. "Klaus, you have no idea how happy it makes me to know that you love me so much that you want me to join you in your new city and help you take over the world. But the world that you want...it's not the same world that I want," I told him. "You know me, Klaus. Maybe not better than Caroline, but you definitely know me better than anyone else other than Caroline. My world, my life? It's right here, in Mystic Falls. And yeah, I know you told me that a small town life and a small town boy won't be enough for me, and you might even be right. But for right now, a small town life and a small town boy is all I need. I don't even need the small town boy. Just the small town life and the air in my lungs. Plus," I fiddled with my fingers. "I know how much I hurt you when I told you that I couldn't love you in the way that you love me. And if I moved to New Orleans with you, it wouldn't be fair to you because I don't know if I'll ever love you in that way. I could, maybe, someday. But I don't see that day happening any time soon." I put my hands on his shoulders. "And as for never seeing me again? I am your _best friend_, Klaus," I instilled in his mind. "As long as I'm your best friend, you'll always see me. That is my promise to you." I let go of his shoulders and held out the ticket to him. "I'm sorry."_

_ He looked a little sad, but he smiled ruefully as he took the ticket out of my hand and ripped it up, throwing it into the air and letting the pieces fall to the ground. "If that's what you truly believe, then I wish you a happy life in Mystic Falls, Juliet. And perhaps one day, when you're ready, you'll find yourself at my doorstep, ready to really start life. And I'll always be waiting for you. That is _my_ promise to _you._"_

_ I smiled at him as I reached forward and pulled him into a hug. "I do love you, Klaus," I whispered into his ear._

_ "I love you, too, Juliet," he said, and when he pulled away from me, he kept his hands on the small of my back as I kept my arms around his neck. Slowly, carefully, his eyes never leaving mine, he leaned down and gave me one sweet, slow kiss. When he pulled away, we both had smiles on his face. Klaus's, however, turned more devilish as he said, "You know, this is probably the last time you and I will see each other in a long time."_

_ "I know," I said, fiddling with his tie._

_ "Do you remember the last time we had sex?"_

_ I tilted my head to the side a little. "Probably before you first left for New Orleans."_

_ He smirked. "We have really good sex."_

_ I smirked too. "We really do, don't we?"_

_ Wordlessly, Klaus kissed me again, but this time more passionately and more desperately. We made out for a few minutes before he vamp sped us to the stage where I had graduated, and well, the rest was history._

* * *

"Could you imagine how different my life would have been had I actually accepted your offer?" I asked as we walked.

"You probably wouldn't be a vampire," he said.

"On the contrary, I probably would've become a vampire sooner," I retorted. "This place is reeking of supernatural creatures."

"That is also true," he said, and I swear I saw someone looking over at me. I followed the look, and I saw a brunette teenager staring at me. Well, more like staring _behind_ me.

I looked over my shoulder, and my heart dropped when I saw Kai. "It's been a while, Princess," he said as he strolled next to me.

I turned my head away from him as I said, "Hey, Klaus? I need to use the bathroom. Where's the nearest restaurant?"

He led us to the nearest restaurant, Rousseau's, and while he waited for me at a booth, I ran for the bathroom. I felt Kai following me as I got there, and I immediately went for the window. I felt bad ditching Klaus, but I had to find that brunette. Could she see Kai too? Was I actually crazy?

I climbed out the window, and I followed the sweet scent of the girl. I finally found her at the outside of a shop, and I skidded to a stop in front of her. "Who are you and why are you staring at me?" I demanded.

She spluttered a little. "I'm-I'm sorry," she said. "I'm Davina Claire. I just thought I saw something behind you."

"Saw? Or sensed?" I asked, and Davina's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Yeah, you reek of witch," I let her know as I crossed my arms. "If you're a witch, maybe you can help me."

"And why would I help you?" she asked. "I don't know you, and you were walking around with Klaus Mikaelson."

I rolled my eyes. "Please, right now, let's forget that we're strangers. Let's forget about Klaus Mikaelson. I'm asking a fellow witch to help a former witch."

She quirked an eyebrow. "You're a witch?" she asked.

"I used to be," I answered. "Before this magic siphoner named Kai took all my magic away from me. So please. Help me."

* * *

Davina led me to an abandoned cemetery. I'd admit, it was easy to tell her everything that had been happening to me since last summer. Probably because she was a third party that was completely unrelated to me.

When I finished telling her all the details (Kai taking my magic, him telling me he had done something extra to me, me being able to see Kai, and completely blacking out at one point) Davina looked pale as a ghost. "I thought those were only legends," she breathed.

"What was only legends?" I asked. "Davina, this is going on in my body, so I need you to tell me."

She cleared her throat. "It's called Hitchhiking. Really lame name, I know, but deadly. Only extremely strong witches can do it."

"What is it?" I pressed.

"It's when a witch puts a part of themselves into another person. It's a failsafe, in case a witch dies. If they die, then the Hitchhiker is activated. The host body will start seeing the witch and eventually, the witch will take over the host body and become fully alive again." She gave me a once over. "Every time you talked to this Kai guy, every time you used his magic, every time you let him touch you, you were letting him gain more and more power and control over you until eventually, he took over your body at Christmas. Obviously it wasn't for very long, but he's probably been waiting a long time for you to be off guard so he can strike again."

I gulped. "How do I get rid of it?"

She sighed. "It's a really complicated spell."

I took her hands and squeezed them tightly. "Davina, I will pay you whatever fee I have to in order for you to do this spell. Just please, do this for me. I can't live like this. I can't risk letting Kai back into the world."

Davina looked torn, but she took a deep breath. "Okay. Here's how it's going to work. I'm going to do the spell, and it'll separate you and Kai from your body. The first person to get back to your body will have full control over it, and the person who doesn't reach your body first will fade away."

My eyes practically bulged out of my head. "So you're telling me there's a chance that I don't even get my own body back?"

She huffed. "I'm telling you there's more of a chance of Kai taking over your body once and for all."

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. This was a gamble, a huge gamble, but it was my only chance. I opened them again, and said, "Let's do it."

* * *

I was laying down in one of the tombs, salt tracing the lines of my body. "Well this isn't weird," I said.

She gave me a weak smile. "It's to keep whoever's your body from running away once one of the spirits enters it. If it's you, I'll drop the barrier. But if it's Kai, then it'll keep him contained." She put down the salt container. "By the way, how am I supposed to know it's you, anyways?"

I thought about it for a second. "Ask me how Liz Forbes died. The answer is cancer. There is no way Kai will know that."

She nodded. "And if Kai takes over your body before you can?"

I sighed, knowing full well that it was a possibility. "You'll have to kill me. Or this body, at least. I won't have Kai wrecking havoc around the world, especially not in my body."

"And how am I supposed to answer to that husband of yours?" She asked. "Or Klaus? He'd kill me. He's tried to kill me in the past but I think he cares about you enough to actually succeed."

"Tell him that it isn't your fault, to not hurt a young girl, and to stop being a drama queen," I told her. "Those exact words, because then he'll know it's me."

Davina nodded, before holding up the dagger. "Are you sure about this, Juliet?"

I felt chills running up and down my body, but I nodded. "Do it."

Davina began chanting something in a language I didn't know, and I felt my body beginning to tingle a little. After a five minutes of her chanting and some gasping from Davina's part _and_ some blood trickling out of her eyes, Davina shoved the dagger straight into my heart, and I gasped deeply as my back arched. I felt the demanding pull of unconsciousness pulling me under, and my eyes rolled into the back of my head and my eyes closed as my body slumped back to the ground, unmoving.

* * *

_When I opened my eyes again, all I could see was dark above me. There was no longer a dagger in my heart, and I couldn't tell where I was. It was just a bunch of darkness._

_ I pulled myself to my feet, and I noticed that Kai was also getting to his feet in front of me. He blinked away his dizziness, and his eyes landed on me as they narrowed. "Juliet," he snarled. "What have you done?"_

_ "The only thing I could think of doing," I retorted. "I am not letting you take over my head and I'm sure as hell not letting you return to the land of the living."_

_ All of a sudden, a bright light emitted from the end of a tunnel, and I didn't know how I knew, but I knew my body was at the end of the tunnel, without a spirit, a host body just waiting to be claimed._

_ Kai knew it too, because he looked over at me, and then began sprinting towards it._

_ I had vampire strength as an advantage as I bolted after Kai. If I was still a vampire, then that meant that Kai had to still be a Heretic, because he was a Heretic when he died. I had to take him out before he could get to my body. _

_ I jumped, and I landed on his back as I pushed him to the ground. The two of us rolled around on the ground before I landed on top of him. I delivered a few punches to his face, and he held up his hand as he used a pain infliction spell on me. I gasped at the pain and held the sides of my head as I rolled off of him._

_ Luckily for me, Kai had to break his concentration in order to try and run for my body again. Once he had stopped, I was on my feet and after him again._

_ "Stay away from my body!" I growled._

_ "Forget it!" he practically sang. "I'm getting that body, and I'm killing those babies, and I'm going to be the leader of the Gemini coven."_

_ I pounced on him again, this time taking him more by surprised. I landed on my back this time, but my hands were firmly around Kai's throat as I squeezed as tightly as my vampire strength allowed. "What coven?" I barked. "You mean the coven that you killed? The coven that you let die?" _

_ Kai grabbed me by the neck and slammed my head against the hard ground. I groaned in pain, but I ignored it as I head butted Kai, causing him to roll off of me. "That is _my _body," I said, punching him in the nose. "And that is _my _life. And I'm sure as hell not going to lose it to _you."

_I tried to punch him again, but he grabbed my first before I could, grabbed my neck and pulled me to him as he savagely bit into my neck._

_ I howled at the pain, but I managed to pull myself away from him. The blood seemed to have given him a newfound power, because he got to his feet and ran for my body again._

_ This time the two of us were a lot closer to my body, close enough that we could just make out the outline of my crumpled form._

_ No, I thought to myself as I sprinted after Kai. That was my body. That was my life. I wasn't going to lose it._

_ With that mantra, I pushed myself. I pushed myself as hard as I could, letting my desperation fuel me, and magically, I caught up with Kai. _

_ The two of us were neck in neck, and he looked over at me just in time to say, "Goodbye, Juliet," as the two of us touched my body at the same time._

* * *

With a deep gasp, Davina watched Juliet Salvatore's body sit up. She breathed heavily, looking around her in wonder as she blinked. She looked the same as she had before Davina had stabbed her. Davina pushed herself off of the ground from her spot beside Juliet, instead choosing to crouch next to her as she caught Juliet's attention. "Juliet?"

Juliet looked over at Davina, waiting for her next sentence. "How did Liz Forbes die?" Davina asked.

Juliet shook off dizziness one more time as she answered, "Cancer. Liz Forbes died of cancer."

A huge weight lifted off of Davina's shoulders as she realized that she had successfully completed the spell.

Juliet smiled widely as the realization finally hit her too. "It's me. I'm me! I'm free!"

* * *

"Why in the bloody hell were you in the bathroom for so long?" Klaus asked as I walked towards him.

I thanked Davina profusely for helping me and even tried to offer her some money, but she wouldn't take it. "I'm just one witch helping out another," she told me. "But maybe one day I'll collect that favour."

"I'm sorry," I told him. "Stomach ache."

He rolled his eyes at me. "You at least could have told me."

I wrinkled my nose at him. "Ew, Klaus."

"Fine," he relented. "I have received a call from Stefan. He's wondering when we'll be back."

I hooked my arm through Klaus's, feeling more in control of things than I had in a long time. Kai was gone, and I was free. "Let's not keep my husband waiting."

* * *

"Sorry we took so long," I told Stefan as we got back to St. James Infirmary. I gave him a peck as I sat down next to him. "New Orleans is pretty big."

"Why didn't you join us, Stefan?" Klaus asked.

"I just figured I'd let the two of you catch up," he said, before changing the subject. "You remember how I mentioned the family drama? Well, Damon's found himself in a bit of a werewolf predicament. I know I said he was a pain in the ass, but is there any chance you'd be willing to spare some blood? Just in case things go south?"

Just then, to my horror, Stefan's wound started to bleed through his shirt, and I was surprised by the rage that built up in Klaus as he saw it.

"That is the mark of the Phoenix Sword," Klaus growled.

Stefan and I exchanged shocked looks before looking back over at Klaus. "You've seen this mark before?" I asked.

"Tell me you have not been careless enough to make an enemy of Rayna Cruz!" Klaus said as he stared Stefan down. "And tell me that you haven't dragged Juliet down with you?"

"Why do you think we're here, Klaus?" Stefan asked.

Klaus growled. "So, you came here to hide, to seek refuge in my town, to enjoy the perks of my hospitality in the city where my family sleeps, and all the while, you lure in a vicious hound with your scent?"

"She can't find me in this bar-" Stefan insisted.

"Well, maybe not under this roof, but you are aware that she was born in New Orleans?" Klaus asked, and I was surprised at how much he knew about Rayna. "Terrorized the Quarter for years, thrust her blade through the heart of some of my best men on the steps of St. Anne's Church. She will pursue you until your paranoia and despair far outweigh your desire to live. Here, elsewhere, or in hell, she will find you."

"If you know how to outrun her, tell me what to do, Klaus!" Stefan said desperately.

"I'll tell you what you don't do," Klaus said furiously. "You do not draw a huntress to a town full of vampires. You do not drink my bourbon whilst lying to my face, and you do not dare ask me favours ever again. Is that clear, old friend?"

Stefan and I were both left speechless, and Klaus raised his voice, "Get out."

"Klaus-" I started, at the same time Stefan said, "If I leave, she'll kill me."

"And if you stay, I will. Get. Out," Klaus informed him.

When Stefan didn't immediately leave, Klaus finally roared, "GET OUT!"

Reluctantly, Stefan began walking out of the bar, and I began to follow him. Just as I passed Klaus, he grabbed a hold of my arm. "You stay," he demanded.

"If you're making Stefan leave, then I'm leaving too," I insisted, trying to twist my arm out of Klaus's grasp, but he wouldn't let go. I looked over at Stefan, and nodded to him to leave, silently letting him know that I would meet him in the car as soon as I could. Without another word, he slipped out the door.

"Leaving with him is suicide," Klaus told me.

"And staying here with you is any better?" I demanded, trying to weasel out of his grasp.

"You are not marked by the sword," Klaus said. "And I will not let you become marked by the sword."

"He is my _husband_, Klaus," I snarled. "Now let me go!"

"I care too much about you," Klaus informed me. "I will not let you go."

"And that is not your decision to make!" I scowled, finally pulling myself out of Klaus's grip. "You would cast out my love?" I asked him. "He's my husband, Klaus. And I love him more than anything. I would follow him to the ends of the Earth if I had to."

"But that's just it!" He said. "You don't have to do anything!"

"Yes I do!" I threw back. "If Stefan is marked by the Phoenix Sword, I don't care. If Stefan is being hunted down by a crazy huntress, _I do not care._ I will follow him and I will continue to follow him because I am his wife and I love him and I want to keep him safe."

"I'm trying to do the right thing here, Juliet!" Klaus insisted.

I shook my head at him. "No. No you're not. Because if you were trying to do the right thing, you would've helped Stefan because _I_ wished for you to help Stefan." I looked him up and down. "That is the Klaus Mikaelson that I knew."

With that, I spun on my heel and vamp sped out to Stefan's car, leaving Klaus behind.

* * *

Stefan had the good sense not to ask about what had gone down with Klaus. Klaus was a special person to me, but after the way he treated Stefan? I could never forgive that.

Stefan had me call up Valerie, and I put her on speaker as she answered, "Hello?"

"Hey, it's us," I told her.

"Stefan, Jules, thank God!" She breathed. "Have you made it to New Orleans?"

Stefan and I exchanged wary looks. "Let's just say we wore out our welcome," Stefan told her. "We're back on the road, and, in a shocking turn of events, Damon needs my help."

"What are you talking about?" Valerie asked anxiously. I had no idea what he meant either, but he would tell me later. "Worry about yourself. You need to go back."

Matt's voice on the other end was loud as he said, "Dispatch just put an APB on a speeding motorcyclist travelling east on Highway 90. Woman, meets Rayna's description, driving like a maniac."

"Do you hear that? Avoid 90," Valerie relayed properly.

"Yeah, a little late for that..." Stefan muttered.

"Where are you?" Valerie asked, alarmed.

"Travelling east on 90," I said as I followed Stefan's driving. "Look, Val, we'll call you later."

With that, I hung up, and it was a silent drive for a while. After ten minutes, I opened my mouth, "I've been seeing Kai," I said.

"What?" Stefan asked as he looked over at me.

"Ever since we got back to Mystic Falls after the honeymoon, I've been seeing weird hallucinations of Kai," I told him. "I had no idea what it was, until I met Davina Claire in New Orleans. It turned out, Kai Hitchhiked in my brain. It was his back up plan in case he died. The Hitchhiker would be activated, and Kai would take over my body."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" He asked.

I shrugged helplessly. "I thought it was nothing. I thought it was some sort of weird PTSD. But it was all too real. And today, Davina helped me get rid of Kai."

Stefan was silent for a minute before he said, "You should have told me. And after all the grief you gave me for keeping secrets."

That stung, but it was fair. "I know," I said. "But I'm telling you know, now that I'm safe. You deserved to know."

More silence. "Are you okay now?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Kai and I had to battle for my body, but I won."

Stefan reached over and took my hand, running his thumb over my wedding rings. "Thank God."

Stefan didn't say anything more as he took a right turn. We were driving down what looked like a back road near the Bayo when suddenly, the tires exploded with a loud bang, forcing Stefan to come to a screeching halt. I narrowly avoided hitting my head on the dashboard.

The car skidded off of the road and nearly missed hitting a trailer home. We waited for the car to finally stop before the two of us got out of the car.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he came over to me, grabbing my upper arms and looking me over for damage.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

Stefan nodded too, and the two of us looked down at the tires of the car to see what had caused the explosion. My heart dropped when I recognized one of Rayna's wooden arrows impaling the left front tire.

I looked up and around to see where she was, and I suddenly felt a searing pain in my right calf and my left shoulder. I looked at my shoulder to see an arrow, and then down at my leg to see another wooden arrow sticking out of it, and I fell to the ground.

"Jules!" Stefan said worriedly as he caught me before I fell to the ground. We both looked forward to see Rayna coming towards us, reloading her crossbow and shooting Stefan in the right shoulder. He fell back against the Jeep, causing me to fully slip down to the ground and land on my bad arm.

Rayna tossed aside her crossbow and pulled out the Phoenix Sword out of the scabbard strapped to her back as she walked towards us. Her first target was Stefan, because he was already marked by her. She kicked him flat on his back, and she pinned him down with her leg and drove the blade of her sword towards his heart.

"Stefan!" I cried out, unable to move. The arrows must have been laced with vervain, explaining the extra searing pain I was feeling and my inability to move.

Stefan managed to take the blade in his hands and used all of his strength to keep her from plunging it into his chest. His hands started to gush blood with the effort, and Rayna used all the strength she could muster to force the blade down more.

This was Silas all over again. I was incapacitated while the love of my life was being tortured by an evil villain, all while I watched.

But unlike Silas, someone had come to our rescue. It was dark, but even I was able to make out Klaus's form as he came up from behind Stefan and backhanded Rayna so hard in the chest with a crowbar that she flew several dozen yards backward into the woods, her sword flying far away from her to her right.

Klaus reached down with his hand, which Stefan took so he could pull him to his feet. The two men immediately came over to my side, and Stefan took out the arrow from my shoulder as Klaus took out the one from my calf, and the both of them each grabbed one of my arms to help me stand up.

I leaned heavily on Stefan as we both looked at Klaus in shock. "What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"The right thing..." Klaus said, looking directly at me as I thought back to the words I had said to him when we last spoke. "I hope. She's dead for now. We have to go."

"We need to grab her before she comes back to life," Stefan insisted.

"Stefan, you two are trespassing on dangers ground. Trust me," Klaus said, and he gestured towards the woods behind us. Stefan and I followed his gesture to see the eyes of a dozen growling werewolves were staring back at us near where Rayna landed.

Now that I was a vampire, being around a werewolf was terrifying, because I could die from their bite. I had witnessed first hand-multiple times, might I add-the horrible effects of a werewolf bite, and I wasn't keen on getting bitten.

"This is werewolf territory. Let's go," Klaus said, and he vamp sped off.

There was still vervain in my system, and since I had in no way built up an immunity to it, I felt my vision start to go spotty until eventually, I collapsed into Stefan's arms.

* * *

Caroline had just walked into the kitchen of the new house Alaric bought, which was lit only by some candles spread across the counter, where some fast food was waiting for them. Ivan was on her heels as he heated himself on one of the chairs by the counter.

"The girls are asleep. Furniture is en route, electricity will be on by tomorrow morning, and I am starving," Caroline said as she picked up a burger on the counter and bit into it. "Mmmm."

Alaric then walked into the room, seeing the two eating, and Caroline's eyes brightened as she caught sight of him. "Mmm, did you get a chance to look over the list of nannies?" She asked around her bite.

"I did. Um, I set up an interview with the one that you rated at, uh, 89.75%," Alaric answered.

"Tracy? Good, she was my first choice, too," Caroline nodded. "And, I can compel her to lower her fee, if you want..."

Alaric shook his head. "No, I-I don't think that will be necessary. I mean, really, between scoring this house and actually having the babies, you've gone above and beyond."

Caroline nodded awkwardly. "Well, then I guess my work here is done..." She laughed a little nervously, and hesitated before she continued. "I think I'll stay the night, if that's okay with you. Just to make sure that the electrician doesn't burn down the house tomorrow morning." She looked over at Ivan. "Ivan? Do you mind staying?"

Ivan shook his head. "Not at all. I'm not all that keen on driving at night, anyways."

Alaric was surprised at the two young adults' willingness to stay at his house and help him. "Yeah, sure. You two can stay as long as you want."

* * *

When I finally came to, I was in a car. I was laying down fully in the back seat, and I had to squint a little bit, but I could see Klaus driving and Stefan in the passenger seat.

"There's a train station about a mile away. You can just drop me off there, I'll carry her out of the car and wait for her to wake up," Stefan said, and it hit me that they both hadn't realized that I was awake.

I decided not to make it known that I was awake, keeping my eyes firmly shut. I wanted to hear what they had to say.

Klaus paused before he responded. "Do you love her?" He finally asked, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized that he meant me.

"Jules?" Stefan asked in confusion. "Why? Do you still have feelings for her?"

Klaus chuckled, and I could feel his eyes on me. "She is the woman who taught me how to love, Stefan," he said simply. "She fixed centuries of damage, damage I thought could never be healed. She didn't give up on me, no matter how awful I was." I could practically _hear_ the smile in his voice as he said, "Of course I love her. I will _always _love her." He tried shrugging off the emotion, but I knew, deep down, that my rejection of Klaus still hurt him to this day, and I couldn't help but feel just a tad guilty. "Either way, I have far too many complicated women in my life already. Juliet is the reason the tip of Rayna's blade ended up in your flesh, isn't she? You were protecting her."

"No. I was protecting Damon," Stefan corrected.

"Then let her go," Klaus told him, and I felt my heart drop at Klaus's suggestion. "Let her go, or spend an eternity of sacrificing everything good you have with her for your brother. Believe me, I've spent an eternity watching Elijah do the same for me."

Instead of answering, Stefan said, "You missed the exit."

"You're not going to the train station," Klaus said.

"What?" Stefan asked in confusion. "We have to get out of here."

"We're going to see a witch. I may have something that can help you with your Rayna Cruz problem," Klaus revealed.

The only thing I could hear or focus on was my rapidly beating heart from eavesdropping on my past love and my current love as I made a groaning sound, as if I had just woken up. I squeezed my eyes shut as I lifted my head off of the seat, keeping my hand on my neck as I asked, "What's going on?"

* * *

**TBC...**

**As a reminder, I AM doing part two of the crossover!**

**Till Part Two!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**A Streetcar Named Desire**_**...**

**THE CROSSOVER CONTINUES**— With the threat of the prophecy looming over their heads, Klaus and Elijah find themselves rendered useless inside a magical trap, while Aya and The Strix's coven of witches move forward with a risky spell that could take one of them down for good. Elsewhere, Freya leads the charge to get her brothers back and enlists the help of Marcel, Hayley and Stefan Salvatore and Juliet Gilbert, Stefan being an old friend of Klaus' and Juliet being Klaus' old flame, whose unexpected arrival may be the key to their survival. Finally, Davina moves forward with a dangerous plan that brings her one step closer to reuniting with Kol.


	60. A Streetcar Named Desire (2)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **Part two of the crossover! It's not very long, so I apologize for that, but whatever.

**ENJOY!**

* * *

I stared at the Mikaelson compound in wonder as Stefan and I followed Klaus into his home. I had seen the compound briefly when I met Hope, but now I was getting a really good look at it.

We walked into the room where I spotted Elijah and another young woman standing with him.

"Freya, this is Stefan Salvatore and Juliet Gilbert, old friends of mine," Klaus bellowed as we walked into the room.

Elijah rolled his eyes at the sight of Stefan and me, and the girl Freya gave Klaus a hard look.

Klaus pointed at Stefan. "Stefan is one of my trickle down sirelings, and Juliet is my best friend," he cut off Freya before she could ask any further questions. "Long story."

Klaus then turned to Stefan and me. "Stefan, Juliet, this is Freya, my brand-new older sister."

_Older sister_? And Klaus hadn't told me? When I opened my mouth to ask questions, Klaus cut me off. "Also a long story."

Stefan nodded and smiled weakly in acknowledgement while I gave Freya an awkward little wave. Klaus turned back to Freya to address her as he patted Stefan affectionately on the back. "Stefan needs a favour."

Freya eyed Stefan suspiciously. "You're an old 'friend,' are you?"

Stefan and I exchanged looks. "Well... That kind of depends on your definition."

"It's pretty complicated," I agreed, and Stefan and I offered our best smiles, but Freya, for some reason, continued to scowl at us.

Later, Klaus left Freya alone with Stefan and I in the upstairs living room, where Freya was unbuttoning Stefan's shirt to examine his X-shaped wound from Rayna's sword. After an awkward silence, Stefan spoke up. "So, um, just full disclosure... I dated your sister once. But now I'm married to her," Stefan nodded at me with a smile.

"And even though I'm married to him," I confirmed as I looked from Stefan over to Freya. "I kind of dated your brother too. Well, kind of. I don't really know if I should define what we did as dating."

Freya raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You dated Elijah?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "No, Klaus."

"Wow, really?" she asked. "You do not seem like Klaus's type."

"Hey," I said, somehow offended. "I know I may seem all innocent, but I'm allured to bad boys." I scrunched my face up at my statement and caught Stefan trying not to laugh at my statement. "Let's all forget I just said that."

Freya chuckled and rolled her eyes. "While that seems like a great story, let's get back to your wound." She looked over at Stefan. "A mystical vampire huntress stabbed you with her magic sword. Klaus killed her. But, surprise, surprise..."

"She regenerates," Stefan completed as Freya mixed ingredients together in a small bowl.

"And won't rest until he's dead," I added as Freya walked back over to us.

"Right. So, no matter how far I run, this wound acts as a beacon, drawing her to me," Stefan confirmed. "So, I guess you could say it's been a bit of a rough week."

Freya leaned over and began spreading an herbal paste over the still-bleeding X-shaped wound with a nervous smile. Stefan kept his eyes trained on me, and I rolled my eyes at him, as if telling him he was being ridiculous for thinking that I could get jealous over something like that.

"Well, I can't cure the wound, but this paste will mask its signal. Just let that dry, and you two will be on your merry way," Freya said.

Stefan frowned in confusion. "You know, not that I was expecting a, uh, parade or anything, but why is everyone so eager for us to go?"

Freya scoffed. "What's troubling the Mikaelsons? Oh, let's see. There's Elijah's super-secret society of ancient vampires. One of their more zealous members, an old flame of Elijah's, is trying to undo my mother's most powerful spell. And now that same old flame and her mob are free to break Klaus and Elijah's sirelines."

"And if they do that?" I pressed.

Freya sighed. "Then that means that they can be killed and their sired vampires won't die."

My heart picked up, and Stefan and I looked at each other. "And we thought we had problems," he said, and I nodded in agreement. Even though Julian sired me and I didn't know who sired Julian, Stefan was still in trouble because we knew he was sired to Klaus.

Once Stefan was all patched up, we agreed that we had to help somehow. Jeez, it was like the sirelines all over again.

We walked down the steps and back into the courtyard, where three people were standing, two men and one woman. I didn't recognize the man, but I burst into a smile as I recognized the woman.

"She watched us fall, she watched us burn, every soul Klaus ever turned. When Aya tests this spell, Klaus will fall either way. And, if Davina fails, as she likely will, the two of us will die as well," the man on the couch said.

"Actually... make that the three of us," Stefan interrupted. He looked over at me. "Maybe four."

Hayley Marshall's eyebrows raised at the sight of Stefan and I, but she smiled when she saw me. "Juliet Gilbert?" she asked as she walked over to me.

"In the flesh!" I declared as we laughed and hugged.

"I didn't think I'd ever be seeing you again," she admitted as she pulled away.

"Do you two know each other?" Stefan asked as he looked between us.

I nodded. "I helped Hayley and Tyler unsire Klaus' hybrids, remember?" I tried. "You called me an idiot that was deliberately trying to get herself killed?"

"Ahh, now I remember," he smirked. "I guess I was really mad at you, huh?"

"As much as I hate to break up a reunion," the other guy said sarcastically. "We have work to do."

Hayley turned around to face the other guy and pointed at him. "Jules, this is Marcel," she pointed to the guy on the couch. "And that's Lucien. Marcel, Lucien, this is Jules and..." She paused as she pointed to Stefan.

"Stefan," he completed.

She nodded. "Right, Stefan."

Lucien pulled out a blueprint of the Davilla Estate, and Stefan and I pored over it while Lucien stood over Stefan's shoulder.

"Could use one of these access tunnels to slip into a back room," Stefan suggested.

Lucien frowned. "Hmm."

I rolled my eyes. "Aww, is someone afraid about getting mud on his million dollar shoes?" I fake-pouted, and Stefan had to bite back his smile.

"Actually, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting, since the vampires we're facing are, what? Seven times your age?" Lucien wondered, and I glared at him before looking away because, well, he had a point.

Lucien looked over to Marcel, who was trying to get Klaus and Elijah (who had been kidnapped and were currently being prepared to have their sirelines broken) back, was sitting on the staircase and had just hung up on his phone, looking frustrated and unhappy. "Is this really the best help we can get?" Lucien complained.

"Oh, be grateful you're getting any help at all," I bit, and Lucien practically snarled at me.

"Doesn't matter," Marcel interrupted, and we looked over at him as he stood up. "We're not getting their bodies back. Strix from all over the world are flying in to make sure this spell goes off. They're guarding every entrance and exit."

Lucien made a face. "Well, you're their leader. Call a meeting. Schedule a retreat. Order them to stop."

Marcel shook his head in protest. "Nah, nah, nah, nah. I do that, Aya has no problem staging a coup."

Lucien sighed. "Marvelous. I guess it's on me to come up with our grand plan, then."

Just then, Hayley and Freya walked in. "No need, Lucien. Freya figured out a way to get the boys out of the chambre. She just needs a strong enough power source," Hayley explained.

"I'd channel Finn, but he's all for letting our brothers perish," Freya grumbled, and Stefan and I raised our eyebrows at the mention of Finn Mikaelson being alive again. "So, I'll channel Lucien. The older the vampire, the better the battery."

"We're going to buy her some time, keep the Strix occupied," Hayley explained.

Lucien scoffed and turned to Marcel. "Wait, so you want me here holding hands with the leftover sister while you take the toddlers and tackle the Strix? You must be jok-"

Before Lucien could finish his sentence, Freya smirked and flicked her wrist, telekinetically snapping Lucien's neck and watching in amusement as he fell back against the couch. Stefan turned to Freya and gave her a hilariously impressed look. "Huh, that was impressive."

Freya smiled. "Well, I work better with quiet."

"Wait, so the plan is that the three of us are gonna keep one hundred of the world's most ancient vampires occupied?" Marcel asked in disbelief.

"Well, there could be another way..." Stefan started, and when I looked over at him, he raised his eyebrows at me, and I smirked when I realized his plan. "All you have to do is get us to the front door."

* * *

Sometime later, Marcel was driving a big black car down the road to the Davilla Estate. Stefan, Hayley, and I were all stashed in the trunk as he drove.

It was silent for a long time, too silent, and I had to speak up. "Well, this is a tight squeeze," I said, because we were all really cramped. I was sitting in between Stefan and Hayley.

Stefan smiled at my attempt at a joke and gently poked my cheek. That made me try not to laugh, and Stefan looked over at Hayley. "Are we close?" he asked her.

"A few more minutes," she responded as she stared at her phone. She was keeping track of where we were, and when she swiped left to exit the GPS map, she ended up on her home screen. I grinned as I recognized the wallpaper on her phone screen to be Hope.

"She's an adorable kid," I gushed. "You're really lucky."

Hayley smiled at me, and then smiled wider when she looked at the picture of her daughter. "Yeah. She is. And I am."

"Is she the reason you're here?" I wondered.

"In a trunk with an old friend and a stranger, going into a fight we may not win?" She shrugged. "She's not the only reason, but yeah. Maybe I just don't want her to grow up without a father."

Stefan nodded. "Hmm. Guess that depends on the father. I could have done without mine. If it weren't for my brother, I probably wouldn't have survived the guy."

"So, he stood up for you, and now you're risking your life for him?" Hayley asked.

Stefan and I exchanged a look. The relationship between Stefan and Damon was too messy to explain in a few minutes. "Yeah, something like that," Stefan finally settled on.

Hayley nodded thoughtfully. "You know, I never understood the brotherly bond until I met Klaus and Elijah. They hurt each other more than anyone, but... They're vicious when it comes to each other."

"And the ones they care about?" Stefan asked.

Hayley just smiled and shook her head at him. "So, who's on your homepage, huh?"

Stefan chuckled quietly and pulled out his own phone to show Hayley his wallpaper, which was a picture of me when the two of us were in Italy. I was standing in front of the Trevi Fountain. I was wearing a white dress, a floppy pink hat, and my head was tipped back with one hand on my head to keep my hat from falling off.

Hayley looked from the picture and then to me. She smirked. "Ahh. So you two are finally a thing, huh?"

Stefan reached over and took my hand. "Yeah, we are," he nodded

"It certainly took you two long enough," Hayley said. "All I remember from my Mystic Falls days was Juliet pining after you."

"I did _not_ pine!" I argued, and after Hayley gave me a look, I relented. "Okay, so maybe I pined a _little_, but are we all forgetting my little thing with Klaus? I couldn't have been pining _that_ hard."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you two were...a thing," she finally settled on. "Is Klaus the reason that you're here?"

I looked over at Stefan, then back to Hayley. "In a trunk with a stranger, going into a fight we may not win?" I repeated her words to her, and she smiled as I did. I shrugged a little. "I guess we all have our reasons."

Before the conversation could continue, the car slowed down, showing that Marcel was probably pulling up to the front gate. Stefan opened his mouth to say something, but I pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh!" I demanded. The last thing that we needed was to be found.

The car moved again, and then stopped. We waited for about five or ten more minutes, and Hayley checked her phone once more. She sighed as she put it away. "It's time."

I nodded at Stefan when he looked at me for approval, and he peeled the bandaged that Freya had put over Rayna's mark off. "Hey, listen," he started. "I... know we don't really know each other, but my life and the life of the girl I love are... sort of in your hands." He nodded at Hayley. "So let's make this count."

Hayley gave him a worried look, and I grabbed Stefan's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. With that hand squeeze, Stefan started to scratch the paste Freya put over his wound off.

Once it was all off, we all got out of the trunk. Hayley went inside the mansion, while Stefan and I ran and hid. Our work there was done.

* * *

Later that day, we found Klaus walking out of a tomb at the Lafayette cemetery. We waited outside for him, and when he stepped out, Stefan spoke up. "So... the spell worked. We survived. I saved you, and you saved us. Funny how that works, isn't it?"

Klaus smirked. "Mmm."

I heard my phone ring, but when I felt around my pockets, I groaned. "I must have dropped it on the way here," I grumbled. I nodded at the boys. "I'll be right back." I pointed menacingly at Klaus. "Don't think you can skip out on a goodbye, Mister."

He chuckled at me. "I wouldn't dream of it, love."

With that, I turned around and started walking to grab my phone. Using my vampire hearing, I strained to hear the rest of Klaus and Stefan's conversation because, well, it could get interesting.

"I'd be happy to let this be the end. Am I too optimistic in thinking we'll never see each other again?" Stefan asked.

"Well, that depends- are you going to do the right thing?" Klaus responded with a question.

"By whom? I assume you don't mean my brother," Stefan retorted.

Klaus paused, then replied, "By her." The words made my blood run cold in my veins as I realized who they were talking about. Maybe I shouldn't have let them alone.

Stefan sighed. "She's my wife. I love her. I know that you do, too. I promise I will only do right by her."

"Thank you," Klaus responded.

I spotted my phone on the ground, and I swiped it before vamp speeding back to where Klaus and Stefan were. "Hey, boys, what did I miss?" I asked anxiously as I went over to Stefan's side.

He wrapped his arm around me and pressed a kiss to my temple. "Nothing. You ready to go?"

When I nodded, Stefan grabbed his backpack from the ground. He turned around and faced Klaus again. "You know, um... there's someone else you should be thanking."

Klaus frowned. "Marcel had to fight for me for his own survival..."

Stefan shook his head. "I'm talking about Hayley. For some reason, she cares about you- enough to risk her own life. Take your own advice. Do right by her."

Klaus and I were both a little stunned by Stefan's comment, but I quickly brushed it off as I went over to Klaus.

"Can I not persuade you to change your mind?" Klaus asked, and I knew he was talking about what had happened earlier.

I shook my head. "No. I'm sorry, Klaus."

He shrugged. "It's okay. It was a long shot, anyways."

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. "I'll always be your best friend," I reminded him. "Don't forget that."

"And I'll always be there for you," He responded. "Don't forget that. As long as you live, you will have a home in New Orleans."

I nodded and let go of his neck, sliding my hands down his arms as I backed away from him. "Goodbye, Klaus. Take care of yourself, okay? And take care of Hope," I said as I came back to Stefan's side.

Klaus nodded. "I will. Take care of Stefan."

Stefan opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off as I patted his chest. "I will," I promised.

Klaus lifted a hand and gently waved it. "Until we meet again, Juliet," He said, and I smiled as I recognized the words to be the same ones as when we had first met after I had lost my memories.

I waved back at him, and then turned around to face Stefan. "So, dear husband," I started. I held my hand out for him, and he placed his own in mine as we strolled out of the cemetery. "Where to next?"

* * *

**TBC...**

**All right, listen up, kiddos.**

**With Ian Somerhalder's announcement that season 8 of The Vampire Diaries will be it's last, I have decided to be weak and write season 8, if anything to properly wrap things all up.**

**So yes, Juliet's story shall return for one final showdown in the fall. If you guys wish for me to do season 8, do let me know. If you feel like I'm dragging it out, let me know that too. If you guys feel like I should put these characters to rest in the present, I'll put them to rest, but I feel like I owe these two one last pow wow.**

**Unfortunately that means me putting myself through **_**another**_** year of the Vampire Diaries.**

**The things I do for you.**

**ANYWAYS!**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**I Would For You...**_

**A WORLD WITHOUT DAMON SALVATORE — **While Stefan, Juliet and Valerie search for a magical herb that can keep Stefan hidden from Rayna, Damon comes up with his own plan to take her down for good. However, while at The Armory, Bonnie makes a shocking discovery about Rayna that brings Damon's plan to a screeching halt. Elsewhere, a conversation with Caroline leaves Ivan questioning their future together, while Matt decides it may be time to truly take a stand against the vampires of Mystic Falls. Finally, as the season's middle chapter draws to a close, Damon's desire to take himself out of the game ramps up as he races to complete unfinished business with Stefan and Bonnie as Stefan makes a heart breaking decision.


	61. I Would For You

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Vampire Diaries! I only own my OCs, "Juliet Jordan Gilbert" and "Ivan Christos" and any other characters or plotlines I make up along the way!

**Author's Note: **All right, after this, it's the time skip!

**ENJOY!**

* * *

I hummed as I drove on the road. Stefan was in the passenger seat, but he was dabbing on the last of Freya's poultice onto his mark and needed me to drive. Valerie was in the backseat, because she knew of a herb that could help block Rayna's tracking on Stefan.

Stefan finished rubbing the paste on and looked up to see me staring. "You mind just paying attention to the road a little bit more?"

I shrugged. "Are you telling me I'm not allowed to stare at my hot husband's chest?"

"You _can_, but I just wish that you didn't have to watch me lather on paste that keeps me from being tracked and killed," He said.

"It doesn't matter, you're still hot," I offered, and he gave me a smile as I smiled back at him.

"Not to sound like the annoying third wheel," Valerie announced from the backseat. "But we do have more pressing matters at hand, like how that was the last of that girl Freya's herbs. It's only a matter of time until they wear off and Rayna can track Stefan again."

"Relax," I said to Valerie as I peeked up at her in the rear view mirror. "We're on our way to get more, aren't we?"

"Are we? Because it sure feels like we're on our way to the world's largest waste of time," Stefan said sarcastically.

"Look, it's not my fault that we have to take back roads to avoid being spotted," I reminded him.

He still looked less than impressed, so I reached over and lightly shoved his shoulder. "Lighten up, dear husband. We've only been on the run for a few days. It's just like the good old days!"

"What good old days?" He scoffed. "You mean when Klaus kidnapped us?"

"To be fair, we did get to see some cool places," I offered. "Like that carnival!"

"You mean that carnival that you forced him to take you to where you got drunk off your ass?" He asked.

I nodded with a grin on my face. "That's the one. To make myself feel better about being kidnapped, I thought of the whole ordeal as an adventure. So the only logical thing to do in this situation is to think of it like an adventure too!"

"I don't want an adventure," He argued. He reached over and took one of my hands. "I just want to get these herbs and have a nice, quiet, home-cooked meal with my beautiful wife." He brought my hand up to his lips and gave it a kiss.

"Aww," I gushed. "You're so disgustingly cute." He let go of my hand, and I put it back on the wheel. "I promise, once we get those herbs, we will go home and I will make the best chicken parm you have ever tasted. Even better than yours."

He laughed. "I'll believe that when I see it."

I gave him a look, but before I could argue, the place came into sight and I came to a slow stop. "We're here," I announced as I pulled into a clearing next to an outdoor greenhouse of some sort.

"What is this place?" Valerie asked as we all got out of the car and started walking towards the greenhouse.

"Well, according to Freya, all the herbs witches use are stored here. Just in case something happens to them," Stefan explained.

"All of them?" Valerie repeated.

I nodded. "Yup."

We walked into the greenhouse. which was an open-air garden filled with hundreds of different herbs and plants. My stomach sank as I realized that we had a real problem.

"Well, I hope you know what this particular herb looks like," Valerie started.

"And why is that?" Stefan asked.

"Because witches are very fond of their herbs," Valerie said as we took in the overwhelming sight.

Eventually, we decided our best plan was to wander around the greenhouse looking at all the herbs. Valerie made a noise of frustration as she asked, "So, what do you propose we do? Rub each one on your wound and hope for the best?"

"I don't know," Stefan growled.

"You're a witch; why have you never heard of this?" I asked Valerie.

She shrugged. "It is strange. Botanically, I am very well-versed."

We started walking along the herbs and I started calling them out as I recognized them, "Wolfsbane. Vervain. Senna. Witch hazel..."

Valerie raised her eyebrows at me. "How do you know all of that?"

I shrugged a little as I crossed my arms and kept walking. "When your pseudo-boyfriend is the Original Hybrid, you apparently get a bit of an education. Klaus was always big on knowing herbs and stuff, especially the ones that could kill him." I stopped in front of a plant that I actually didn't know and pointed to it. "I just don't know this one."

Stefan grinned as he pointed to the one that I was pointing at. "Mmm, _that _one I know."

Valerie raised her eyebrows at him as she reached over and pulled a leaf off of the plant and looked at Stefan in surprise. "The witchy hallucinogen. The one borderline-recreational herb." She gave him an impressed look. "Stefan, I misjudged you! You actually _do _have fun."

"He hangs his hero hair every now and then," I confirmed.

Stefan gave us both an annoyed look as he said, "I did it once."

Valerie and I exchanged interested looks before looking back over at Stefan. "What was her name?" Valerie asked.

Stefan rolled his eyes at us. "Really? There _has _to be a her?"

"With someone like you, there's always a bad influence," She pointed out.

Stefan was slightly amused and turned to kept walking through the aisles. "Her name was Rebekah."

I gave him a bit of a look, but then I nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that's believable."

Stefan nodded with me as he turned to Valerie. "Let's just say she was a lot to handle."

Valerie chuckled. "'Course she was. And that's why she's not in the picture. See, you prefer small-town girls who want to settle down. Who are easy to handle."

I put my hand on my hip and gave Valerie a look. "Who you callin' easy to handle?"

"I can't believe you said that about Jules," Stefan said. "She's literally the least easiest person to handle ever. You'd have to knock her out to get her to do something."

We came up to a row of herbs and frowned when we saw a section that was empty, save for a few dead leaves and roots. Stefan gestured at the area. "I think I found it. Or, where it used to be."

Valerie sighed. "Lovely. A dead end."

Suddenly, a strange mist started to come out of the sprinklers over the plants, and Stefan immediately came over to me as he looked to Valerie for answers. "What is it?" He asked.

Just then, a middle-aged woman in a light brown shirt whose face was covered in scabbed-over burns appeared in front of us. "Night, night," She breathed.

Before any of us could do anything, I accidentally inhaled the mist, and I immediately began feeling the familiar pull of unconsciousness as I sank down to the ground and blacked out.

* * *

I woke with a low moan. I curled into my self, putting my hands to my head because of my headache. I slowly opened my eyes to see Stefan leaning over me worriedly. His eyes softened with relief as he saw my eyes. "Thank God," he muttered as he put his arms around me, helping me sit up.

The scabbed woman was standing right in front of us, and Valerie was leaning against the wooden rows of plants. "What did she _do_ to us?" I groaned, feeling the overwhelming urge to puke.

"Apologies," the woman said as Stefan and Valerie both helped me stand up. "I haven't had visitors in years. And then, all of a sudden, two in a matter of days."

Valerie sighed. "Stefan woke up just a few moments before you did. I spoke with her while you two slept. Somebody beat us to the punch. Came in and took all the herbs."

"Well, we need more," Stefan said anxiously.

"Unfortunately, there is no more. That herb is rare for a reason. It has strong anti-magic- and therefore anti-witch- properties," the woman told us. She pointed to her face. "Let's just say this isn't from a bad laser-peel."

"Well there has to be more somewhere," I tried.

She shook her head. "There's not. Witches eradicated it from the world a century ago. This was the only source."

Stefan and I exchanged worried looks as I leaned into his chest. He automatically put his arm around me and hugged me into his side.

Now what?

* * *

Caroline quickly washed two baby bottles before she filled them up with formula and set them on the table. She raised her voice to shout to the other room. "Bottles are a go!"

A timer beeped behind her, and Ivan called out, "I got it!" as he ran over to the oven. Caroline resumed chopping vegetables as Ivan opened the oven to check on their dinner.

"Don't forget to check the chicken with the thermometer," Caroline reminded him as he closed the door. "The last thing we need is to get food poisoning."

Just as she mentioned food poisoning, a disgusting smell invaded her vampire senses, and she turned around to see Alaric walking into the room with a dirty diaper in one hand at arms length away from him. "Whew! Diapers also a go. Like, go away with them. Ugh!"

He handed the diaper to Caroline, who gingerly pinched it between her thumb and index finger in an attempt to touch as little of it as possible as Alaric took the bottles and rushed back into the other room to feed the twins, giving her an apologetic expression as he walked out. "Sorry!"

Caroline shook her head at him as she washed her hands so she could resume cutting vegetables. Ivan whistled "Whistle While You Work", a song that he knew Caroline loved.

Caroline couldn't help but admire the way Ivan was taking everything in stride. These babies weren't his, but he still dropped everything to drive with them to their new home and was even pitching in when it came to taking care of them and the house.

Ivan caught Caroline staring, causing her to blush a little. "What's up?" he asked as he grabbed three plates from the cupboard.

"Nothing," she shook her head. "It's just...aren't you worried about Julie?" Caroline completely changed the conversation like a coward.

Ivan looked a little stunned by the question but nodded. "Of course. She's my sister, I'll always worry about her. But at the same time, she's a grown woman. A grown _married_ woman who has decided that she wants to be with her husband. Do I wish a little that her husband was living in a quiet place like Boston and not being chased across the world by a crazy huntress? Yeah. But that's not the life that Stefan has, and Juliet willingly went with him. She's a smart person. She knew what she was getting herself in to."

Caroline sighed. Even though she had just come up with Juliet for a topic, she was now sorely missing her best friend even more. "I just miss her. There hasn't been a day where I haven't seen her. Literally, whenever I was home sick from school or she was home sick from school, we'd always go over to the other person's house after school to see them." She crossed her arms. "I miss my person."

"Your person?" Ivan repeated. "Like in _Grey's Anatomy_?"

Caroline nodded. "We both started watching that show together and decided that our relationship was like Meredith and Cristina's. Except we're not surgeons." Caroline shook her head. "That's besides the point. The point is I want her to come home already."

Ivan gave Caroline a gentle look as he put his hands on her arms. "Caroline, we both know that Jules isn't going to come back without Stefan. At least, not willingly. The only way she's going to come back is if Stefan gets this huntress off of his back."

Caroline sighed again. "Yeah, you're right. I hate it when you're right."

"I know I am," Ivan nodded with a grin. "But don't think I'm letting you get away with it."

"With what?" Caroline asked, confused.

"With changing the topic," Ivan answered, and he started talking again before Caroline could defend herself. "I've known you way too long Caroline Forbes. You were going to tell me something, then you chickened out."

Caroline playfully punched him on the arm. "Now I hate you even more." She could feel herself getting nervous, but she smacked herself out of it. She was Caroline Forbes: there was nothing she couldn't do. "You have no obligation to Ric or the babies, you know that, right?"

Ivan nodded, confused. "Yeah," he said slowly.

"And even though I'm your girlfriend, you have no obligation to me either, right?" She went on.

Ivan was even more confused now. "Caroline, what is this all about?"

"I just wanted you to know that whenever you want to go home-to Mystic Falls, I mean-you can go. I won't be mad," she finished.

"Why would I go back to Mystic Falls?" Ivan wondered.

Caroline gnawed on a carrot. "I don't know. If you wanted to get on with your life, and your schooling, I wouldn't mind if you went back."

"Caroline, you're talking like I'm going to go back without you," he pointed out. "Why are you talking like I'm going to go back without you?"

She looked down at her fingers. "Because I can't ask you to stay here," she whispered. She finally looked up at him. "The babies are here, in Dallas. I just feel like if I weren't here, I'd be constantly thinking about them and calling and annoying Alaric when he should be taking care of his twin daughters. I want to stay and help Alaric with Josie and Elizabeth. And even though I love you so much, Ivan, I love you enough to not want to tie you down. You obviously had dreams before your girlfriend was magically knocked up with babies that weren't even hers. _I_ interrupted your plans for life, and even though you act like it doesn't bother you, it has to bother you a _little bit_." Caroline huffed. "So yeah. even though I want to, I can't ask you to stay here. It wouldn't be fair to you."

Ivan was silent for a moment, before he stepped forward and gave Caroline a kiss so deep and so passionate that it nearly knocked her off her feet. She was breathless when he pulled away, and Ivan put his hands on either side of her face.

"Caroline Forbes," he began. "You must be the stupidest person on the Earth to even _believe_ that I'd ever leave you. I'm not staying here because I feel _obligated_. I'm staying here because I love you. And I want to be wherever you are, whether that's Dallas, Mystic Falls, or even the freaking _moon_." He brought Caroline's face closer to his so that they were nose to nose. "Wherever Caroline Forbes is gonna be, Ivan Christos is gonna be, understand?"

Caroline tearfully nodded and reached forward to hug him tightly. She leaned her head on his chest as they swayed gently from side to side. "So we're staying in Dallas?"

"We're staying in Dallas," He confirmed.

"You know, you aren't like any of my past boyfriends," Caroline commented. She peeked up at her current boyfriend. "Matt was nice, but I had to leave him to keep him safe. Tyler...Tyler was _always_ leaving me. He never chose me, not when it mattered. And Klaus...well, he wasn't really a boyfriend, but still. But you...whenever I try to give you a reason to leave me, you never do. You're my constant."

"And you're unlike any of my past girlfriends," Ivan said with a smile. "Mainly because I've never had a girlfriend before, but still."

Caroline smiled. "Really? I'm your first girlfriend?" When Ivan nodded, Caroline leaned back against the sink. "Well, that's a big responsibility. What can I do as your first girlfriend?"

"Well, first things first, stop trying to make me leave you," he started. "You're stuck with me."

Caroline giggled. "If you like me so much, why not just put a ring on it?"

"Fine," Ivan nodded without question, and Caroline instantly dropped her playful mood.

"Wait. You really want to get married?" She asked, her heart picking up.

Ivan shrugged a little. "Why not?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's what _every _girl wants to hear when they're getting proposed to."

Ivan gave Caroline a look. "I meant we _should_, but not right now. We should both finish college, have jobs to actually _pay_ for the wedding, and wait for the girls to be a little older so that they'll understand why their Mommy is marrying their Uncle Ivan."

Ivan had a good point, but Caroline huffed anyways. "This is my _first_ proposal-and hopefully the only one I'll ever get. I would prefer it if it were _special_."

He rolled his eyes, but Ivan got down on one knee. "Caroline Forbes, will you marry me...some day?"

Caroline burst into a huge smile as she sat down on Ivan's knee. She wrapped her hands around his neck as she gave him a deep kiss. "Of course!" She gushed.

The two of them leaned forward to kiss again, but they were interrupted by Alaric's voice calling out, "Uh, guys? Backup! I need backup right now! And more diapers!"

Ivan and Caroline looked from the direction of Alaric's voice back to each other. "Celebrate our kind of engagement later?" Ivan proposed.

Caroline beamed. "Definitely."

She got up off of his lap and left to tend to Alaric and the babies. Ivan got up off of the floor to follow her, but his phone suddenly rang in his pocket. He pulled it out, checked the caller ID, and quickly answered it, "What's up?"

* * *

With nothing left for us there, we had to get back on the road. When we got to the car, Stefan suddenly started to groan in pain. He clutched at his chest as she fell to the ground, bumping into the front bumper of the SUV.

"Stefan?!" Valerie and I both called out as we ran to him. I dropped down to his side as Stefan continued to gasp for breath as though he was suffocating.

"Stefan! Hey..." I said desperately as I grabbed his face.

"What's-what's wrong with me?" He gasped as he groaned in pain. "What's happening?"

"I don't know! I don't know!" I cried as I clutched at his shirt.

"My... chest..." He managed to get out.

"Your chest?" I repeated. I wiped at my tears quickly as I unbuttoned his shirt as fast as I could. I pulled the lapels away to reveal that his X-shaped scar was not only open and raw, but was also surrounded by darkened blood vessels that were spreading away from the scar and growing larger as they began to cover his chest. "Stefan!" I cried again as I put my hand to his chest.

To my horror, he fell unconscious, and I began tapping his face to wake him up. "No! No! Stefan! Come on, wake up, you jackass!"

I finally looked over to Valerie through my tears. "Do something!" I begged.

She snapped out of her daze as she put both of her hands on his scar, on after the other, and tried to use her siphoning ability to stop whatever the hell was happening to him. Her hands glowed red, but when she opened her eyes and removed her hands, nothing had changed.

"I can't siphon it. It's not working," She told me.

The darkened veins and arteries surrounding his scar had started to travel up his neck and towards his face. I could feel my stomach drop another inch with each new vein that crawled towards his face. "No! Stefan, please!"

Suddenly, Stefan woke up with a gasp as the blood vessels around his scar receded and returned to their normal colour. I sighed deeply in relief as tears streamed down my face.

"What'd...I...miss?" He rasped, and I couldn't help the hysterical laugh that bubbled out of my chest as I threw myself at Stefan, wrapping my arms around him and kissing him hard. Too many times I'd nearly lost Stefan and it hurt like hell each time.

"I'm okay," he assured me as I peppered him with kisses. He had to pull me off of him as he looked me in the eye to say, "I'm fine."

I sobbed once more and gave him another hug. We sat like that for a long moment until Stefan's phone buzzed with a text, and he pulled it out of his pocket.

_Damon: SHE'S TAKEN CARE OF._

* * *

Stefan and I drove all the way back to the boarding house, and when we got there, we found Damon digging through a dresser in the parlor, where he pulled out two different bottles of alcohol.

"Ah. Looking for a bottle to celebrate?" Stefan asked, making Damon turn around to face us. "I gotta say, I'm impressed. Got your text. I didn't think you'd be able to kill her."

Damon hesitated. "Actually, my exact message read: 'She's taken care of.'"

"Yeah, she's taken care of," Stefan repeated in a confused tone.

"Yeah..." Damon said awkwardly as he made a face, and Stefan and I exchanged frowns before we walked towards Damon.

"Wait," I started. "So you _didn't_ kill her?"

"I did. A number of times," Damon clarified. "As it turns out, she only has eight lives. The last one's the problem. Turns out that if she dies for good, everyone with that scar on your chest does, as well."

"So, we can't kill her," Stefan deduced.

Damon shook his head. "No. But, the good news is, the Armory has her, and they're not gonna let her escape."

"Are we forgetting that the Armory has let Rayna escape before?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

Damon sighed. "Look, I know it's not ideal, okay? It's what we got."

Damon took his drink and started to walk out of the room. He picked up two fancy envelopes, each sealed with a wax stamp, and shoved them against Stefan's chest. He frowned down at them in confusion before looking up at Damon. "What is this?"

Damon sighed. "We all know the last few months have been impossible for me. I've been walking a tightrope. Falling off constantly. I'm not a good brother when I'm not with Elena, and when I'm not a good brother, people get hurt."

Stefan gave Damon a horrified look. "So, you're just gonna run away?"

"Nope. I'm gonna stay in one place. Desiccated, right next to her," Damon answered.

"What the hell kind of plan is that?!" I nearly shrieked.

"I saved your life- time and time again," Stefan said angrily. "I chose you. I sacrificed everyone and everything for you. You're just gonna turn your back on me now?"

"We're vampires, Stefan," Damon said sadly. "It's temporary. I'll see you again."

Damon turned to leave again, and Stefan finally lost his temper with his brother. "Listen to me. If there's even a fraction of you that cares about me- your brother, your family- you will not walk out that door."

We couldn't see Damon's face, but all he said was, "Save a good bottle of that bourbon for me, brother. We're gonna need it to sort all this out in about sixty years." With that, he finally walked out the front door and closed it behind him.

I looked over at Stefan to see his reaction, and it was clear that what Damon had done to him that affected him greatly. He fell down to one knee, and I went over to him, leaning down and hugging him tightly to me. "Oh, Stefan," I whispered as I kissed the top of his head in comfort.

I managed to get him up off of the floor, but he was still quiet as I led him over to the couch in front of the fireplace. I started a fire, and we just sat in silence for a while. When Stefan was ready to talk, I'd be ready to listen. What I was really thinking of was a way to get rid of the scar on Stefan's chest. The Armory already let Rayna out once, no doubt they could manage to lose her again.

The parlor door suddenly opened, and I eagerly swung my head to see if it was Damon, but deflated a little when I saw that it was just Matt. "It's not a good time right now, Matt."

"This won't take long," he assured me as he walked over to us.

"I don't want to have to kick you out of here, but I will," Stefan piped up.

Matt sighed. "Yeah, I know you will. And there's nothing I can do to stop you- because you're a vampire, and I'm a human. I've been thinking a lot about that lately. About my place in this town. My home. Whenever vampires are here, humans will always be at their mercy. Whatever laws we pass, you can break. Whatever lives we build, you can destroy. We don't stand a chance against you. That stops today."

Stefan and I exchanged confused looks, and we both got up off of the couch to walk towards Matt. "Excuse me?" Stefan demanded.

"Yeah Matt, what the hell is going on?" I wondered.

Matt stood as tall as he could. "Vampires need to leave Mystic Falls... for good. All of you."

Stefan scoffed. "Look, I appreciate whatever moral crisis you're going through right now, but this is my home. I'm not going anywhere."

"Neither am I," I agreed. I gave Matt an incredulous look. "Matt, what the hell is going on?"

He sighed and pulled a flash-drive out of his pocket. "This is footage from the Grill today... of Damon doing some very not-human things to Rayna. I've got footage of you, too. Hundreds of hours from the town surveillance system. Now... I don't want to show it to anyone or expose you..."

"You threatening me? You're threatening _us_?" Stefan asked angrily.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, I am. And I hate that. I hate that I have to threaten my friend because he's a vampire. I hate that I have to threaten my closest friend in the whole world. I hate that I'm friends with vampires at all. This isn't about me. Or you. This is about our home, which has been destroyed time and time again. This is the only way to break that cycle. You two have until the end of the day. Damon, too."

Matt turned and began to walk towards the door, and I was too shell shocked to say anything. Then I found my voice. "Matt! Matt, stop!"

I ran after him and grabbed his arm. "Please, just stop and think about what you're doing. This isn't just your home. It's mine too. We have no where else to go. This is the only place I know." For the second time that day, I was crying. "Please, Matty. Please don't do this."

Matt hadn't turned around when I grabbed his arm, but I kept going. "Matty, it's Jules. I might be a vampire now, but I'm still me. I'm still the girl that shared your crib with you. I'm still the girl who wanted her very first kiss from someone that she trusted completely." Hot tears slipped down my cheeks. "I'm still the girl that decided to let you make all of her medical decisions if she was ever unable to. I'm still the girl that shared your house with you." I could tell that he was shaking now, and with my vampire hearing I could hear him trying to conceal his sniffling. "Please don't do this. Please, Matty."

Almost a minute of silence, and Matt shrugged my arm off of him and stomped out of the room.

And it was like all the strength in my body disappeared.

I slumped down to the ground and cried even harder than I was before. My best friend...my closest friend...just abandoned me. Out of all the people that I thought would give up on me, I never thought it would be Matt. Matt and I had gone through so much together...and he just threw that all away because I wasn't the same species as him anymore.

I sobbed in my grief and buried my face in my hands, leaning my head down on to the ground. I was shaking uncontrollably as I heaved, and I felt two hands on me. I looked up to see Stefan and sobbed once more before throwing myself into his arms. He held me as tightly as possible, but nothing was going to make me feel better.

* * *

We packed our stuff. At least, as much as we could pack so that we could still travel light on the run. Then we got into Stefan's stolen Jeep and drove out of Mystic Falls. I couldn't bear to make myself look at the "YOU ARE NOW LEAVING MYSTIC FALLS" sign.

I was quiet the entire time in the car. I had no idea where we were going and honestly? I didn't care. I felt numb inside.

Was this what my life was going to be now? Constantly on the run from a psycho huntress that was after the man I loved? Who knows how long we'd be running.

I fell asleep at some point, and when I woke up, we were in a neighbourhood in front of a house. "Where are we?" I asked.

"Dallas," he answered as he took off his seat belt.

"Dallas," I repeated. "Why?"

He paused with his hand on the handle. "I just thought you might want to say goodbye to Caroline and Ivan. Who knows when you'll be able to see them again."

I nodded. "Right, I totally forgot about that."

He nodded sympathetically. "It was the least I could do, especially after..." He sighed. "It's my fault."

"It is not," I assured him. "Matt hasn't been on the vampire side for a very long time."

"It's my fault he kicked you out, too," He insisted. "If I hadn't been with you, Julian wouldn't have been so interested in you, and he wouldn't have turned you. You could still be living a normal life in Mystic Falls."

I sighed. "My life is never going to be normal anymore. Besides, that place is a ghost town. I wouldn't want to be there if everyone I cared about wasn't." I shook my head. "Anyways, we should just say goodbye. Who knows where Rayna could be."

I took my seat belt off and got out of the car. I shut the door behind me as I strolled over to the front door of the house, Stefan on my heels. I stopped in front of the window, where I got a clear view of Alaric, Caroline, Ivan, and the twins. Caroline was holding one twin while Alaric was holding the other, and Ivan was taking a picture of the two of them with a Polaroid camera.

I sighed deeply, putting my hands into my pockets. That wouldn't be my life. I mean, Stefan and I could have the mundane life, but not the babies. Maybe if we adopted. Or maybe if a witch magically planted two fetuses into my vampiric uterus.

"Aren't you going to go in?" Stefan asked.

I shook my head, not looking at him. "They're happy. They're not suspecting anything. Besides, knowing Caroline, she'll try to get me to stay, and I don't want that."

I watched them for another moment, and Stefan asked, "Are you ready?"

I shed a small tear (I didn't know I was capable of crying so much in one day) and quickly wiped it away. "Yeah, I'm ready."

I moved to turn around, but there was a quick, sharp pain and pressure in my lower back, and I gasped. My vision immediately went blurry, and I began seeing dark spots as I fell backwards and fell unconscious.

* * *

Stefan gently put Juliet's unconscious body down on the ground and texted Ivan to come outside. Like the smart boy he was, Ivan chose to go out the back door and rounded over to meet Stefan in the front yard.

Stefan had gone and grabbed Juliet's things and had just returned when Ivan made his way to the front. He put the bags down on the ground and leaned down to pick up Juliet. "Thanks for coming," he said to his brother-in-law.

"I just hope you're sure about this," Ivan told him. "When you called today, this was the last thing that I expected you to want to do."

Stefan looked down at the face of his beautiful wife. "It was. But it's the thing I have to do most." He leaned down and gave Juliet one last kiss, and he had to keep himself from crying at the thought that this could very well be his last kiss with the woman he loved. "I love you. I love you so much," he whispered when he pulled away. He tore his gaze away from her as he went forward and put Juliet into Ivan's arms.

Ivan shifted his sister in his arms as he looked over at Stefan. "You're sure?" He asked one more time. "She's gonna be really mad at you when she wakes up."

Stefan nodded. "I know. Nobody knows her temper-or how well she can hold a grudge-more than I can. But," he reached into his jacket pocket and produced a letter. He tucked it into Juliet's jacket. "She loves me. She'll forgive me eventually. I'm only doing this for her." He looked up at Ivan. "You'll take care of her?"

"Dude, she's my sister," he responded. "Of course I will."

"And you'll try to get her to go easy on me?" Stefan managed to joke as he felt his heart beginning to shatter as he took a few small steps backwards.

Ivan offered a weak smile. "I'll try, but no promises. My sister has quiet the temper."

Stefan nodded. "Thanks, Ivan."

"No problem," he nodded, and he turned around to go back around to the back door.

"Goodbye, Juliet," Stefan softly whispered, and the wind carried his voice away as he turned around, got into his Jeep, texted Valerie that he was ready to go, and drove off into the unknown night.

* * *

A piercing headache was what welcomed me as I woke up. It was the same sort of headache that I had had when I was knocked out with vervain earlier today, and I immediately started panicking. The only reason I'd be knocked out with vervain would be because Rayna had found us and had taken us captive. "Stefan," I croaked as I lifted my head and opened my eyes.

But to my surprise, I wasn't tied up in the backseat of a car, or boarded up in a dark room. I was in a pastel coloured bedroom with nice furniture, and I was laying in a bed. I pulled the sheets back and looked around the room in wonder.

The bedroom door opened, and Ivan and Caroline poked their heads through the door. "Oh, you're awake," Caroline said as the two of them stepped into the room.

"Where am I?" I asked. "Where's Stefan?"

Ivan and Caroline exchanged a look before looking back at me. "You're at Ric's house in Dallas. This is the guest bedroom."

"Where's Stefan?" I repeated. "Did Rayna get him? Is that why he's not here? I have to save him," I insisted as I threw the blankets off of me. I was still woozy from the vervain, but I wasn't gonna let that stop me.

"Jules, wait," Caroline said as she put her hands on my shoulders, pushing me back on the bed. She reached into her inner sweater pocket before revealing a letter. She held it out to me. "Maybe you should read this before we answer your question."

I gave the two of them a weird look, but when they didn't respond to it, I took the letter from Caroline's hand. I broke the seal, pulled out the letter, and opened it. On it was written in Stefan's elegant script:

_Dear Juliet,_

_ First thing you have to know: I love you. I love you more than I thought I could ever love a person. There were probably days where you regretted marrying me, but not a day went by that I regretted marrying you. Except today._

_ That's not a bad thing. I'm not saying that I regret marrying you because you make my life difficult or bad. I'm saying that I regret marrying you because I made _your _life difficult._

_ You've changed so much, you know? The girl that I met that first day in the hallway has completely transformed into a beautiful woman that I did not expect myself to fall in love with. But that was the beautiful part of it. The most amazing kind of love is when neither of you know when or how it started. I was in the middle before I even knew I had began (and yes I stole that from Pride and Prejudice but I thought it'd make you smile at least once during this letter)._

_ I vervained you, and I left you. Not _left_ left as in "I want a divorce" (I still want to be married to you, if you still want to be married to me after this letter). I know you insistent you were that you come with me because Rayna's hunting me, but after everything that happened today, I couldn't let you. Your body was nearly taken over and you were almost marked by the Phoenix Sword in New Orleans. You were knocked unconscious today. And I made you lose your best friend. I couldn't live with myself if something even worse happened._

_ I know what you're thinking: "Stefan Salvatore, you are the most selfish person to ever live!" And yeah, maybe I am. But I'd rather be the most selfish person in the world and be the person that you hate most in the rather than have you in harms way at any point. I'd already costed you Matt and your home. I wasn't going to cost you your other friends or your life._

_ I don't expect you to wait for me. I can't even _ask_ you to do that. I don't deserve someone like you waiting for me. I don't know how long I'm going to be running from Rayna. It could be one year, it could be fifty, it could be a century. But I could live with myself knowing that you lived that year or that century free of harm and happy. _

_ Live happily, Juliet. Please don't make me regret leaving you behind. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my one hundred and sixty six years._

_ Again, I don't expect you to wait for me, but I would love it if you did. Because the minute that Rayna is dead or my scar is gone, I'll be coming for you. I'll take your hand, and I'll never let you go ever again. We'll go to some private island where no one-no vampire hunters, Original vampires, siblings, or exes-can find us, and we'll stay there for as long as we want. Plus, we're immortal, so as long as we want can last forever._

_ I love you. Never forget that._

_Your husband, _

_ Stefan_

* * *

**THREE YEARS LATER...**

* * *

**TBC...**

**We're finally caught up to the flash forwards!**

**I hope you're not mad with the decision that I made (Stefan leaving Jules behind). Honestly, after the way their rocky marriage had started, this was the most selfless thing Stefan could have done for her. Now we'll just have to wait and see what Juliet had been up to in those three years...**

**REVIEW! FOLLOW! FAVOURITE! THANKS! STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Next chapter...**

_**Days of Future Past...**_

**THREE YEARS INTO THE FUTURE — **In an attempt to make things right with his brother, Damon offers to have Stefan's scar magically transferred to him, only to discover that doing so may come with some unexpected consequences. With time running out and Rayna closing in on Stefan, Juliet desperately attempts to control the situation before it's too late. Elsewhere, after being framed for breaking Rayna out of The Armory, Enzo attempts to clear his name, but not before a violent run-in with Nora forces him to make an upsetting discovery. Matt also appears.


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